Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman sure loves to find ways to manipulate the roster however he can, but this one was important to get done.
To make room for the newly acquired Jaelan Phillips from the Miami Dolphins, the Eagles were forced to make a tough decision and released edge rusher Patrick Johnson. That only lasted less than 24 hours before the team was finally able to re-sign him to the practice squad.
With multiple injuries to the edge rushers, including Nolan Smith Jr., Ogbo Okoronkwo, and Azeez Ojulari being placed on IR, Johnson has been thrust into action for seven games. During those games, Johnson has made five tackles, two quarterback hits, one tackle for loss, and one sack.
Johnson is the one player Eagles want to hold on to
Eagles fans are well aware that Roseman is a big fan of Johnson, and he even expressed this admiration when he was originally cut from the team at the end of training camp. Roseman stated then he wanted him back as soon as possible, so the Eagles' general manager will do whatever it takes to keep him in Philly.
From 2021 through part of 2024 (with a short stint with the Giants last year), Johnson has been a key reserve player on the Eagles. His first sack wasn't recorded until this year, but he has contributed on special teams and wherever the team needed him.
The Eagles are now stacked at edge rusher with Phillips, Jalyx Hunt, Brandon Graham, and Josh Uche as the healthy guys. Smith's 21-day practice window has just opened, so he should be back within the next few weeks.
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Johnson will be a good player to have on the practice squad as the team knows he's reliable enough to play at any time if more injuries occur. The Eagles went from having a disaster at the edge rusher position to now having a good problem with so much talent there.