PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Eagles needed to improve their off-ball linebacker position and found an opportunity to do so late in the season when Shaq Leonard became available after being let go by the Indianapolis Colts.
Although former three-time All-Pro Leonard isn’t the player he once was, the Eagles saw him as an upgrade for their team. The Dallas Cowboys were also interested in Leonard, but the Eagles ultimately signed him to their 53-man roster rather than the practice squad.
To make room for Leonard, the Eagles had to waive fellow linebacker and core special-team Christian Elliss with the hope of getting him back on the practice squad. However, Elliss was claimed by the New England Patriots.
Despite trying to hide the signing of Leonard until later in the week, the Eagles’ plan did not work, and Elliss was claimed by six different teams, including the Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, and Miami Dolphins.
The Eagles head coach, Nick Sirianni, expressed disappointment at losing Elliss, but wished him luck in his new opportunity with the Patriots. Moving forward, the Eagles have to make adjustments to their roster to compensate for Elliss’ departure.
Although losing Elliss isn’t a devastating blow to the team, it serves as a lesson for the Eagles’ management that attempting to outmaneuver the league doesn’t always work out as planned.
Finally, with the return of Dallas Goedert and other roster considerations, the Eagles must make decisions to ensure their roster remains flexible and competitive.
Related: Sirianni’s Core Coaching Principles Come to Life in Form of Shaq
