Getty Former UCLA TE Caleb Wilson was added to the Eagles roster after Brandon Brooks hit the PUP.
The Eagles officially placed injured guard Brandon Brooks on the PUP list on Tuesday and filled his roster spot with Caleb Wilson.
Wilson, a 6-foot-4 tight end out of UCLA, was the final pick of the 2019 NFL Draft (254th overall, seventh round), otherwise known as Mr. Irrelevant. The 24-year-old is a converted high school quarterback who finished with 114 catches for 1,675 yards and five touchdowns in three seasons for the Bruins. Wilson is best known for — hide your surprise on this one — his speed after tearing up the track at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine with a 4.56 40 time.
The scouts criticized the former USC walk-on for his “lack of natural catching skills” and “limitations as a blocker.” He projects mostly as a camp body for the Eagles as they are kind of stacked at the tight end position. Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert are the starters in 12 personnel, leaving Josh Perkins and Noah Togiai to duke it out for the third spot. Then again, GM Howie Roseman and head coach Doug Pederson are enamored with speed and Wilson definitely has that.
“We want to be fast,” Roseman told reporters after the draft. “Now, we don’t want to sacrifice going for speed by giving up talent, but at the same time, this is a speed league.”
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Cardinals Took Wilson, His Dad Coached the Eagles
When Arizona took Wilson last year in the seventh round, there was a feeling he might make the final 53-man roster. Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury values speed in his spread offense but he was up against a trio of semi-accomplished veterans.
Ultimately, there was no room at the inn. One of the top reasons for Wilson’s departure … you guessed it, his inability to block effectively.
“I eventually want to be a guy you can leave in on all three downs and do both: block as well as make plays in the pass game,” Wilson told the Cardinals’ official website in 2019. “That’s definitely a point of emphasis, but the way we run our offense, I think it does give me an opportunity to contribute early on.”
The #Eagles welcome new defensive line coach Chris Wilson and offensive QC/assistant WR coach Joe D’Orazio
Wilson was cut by the Cardinals after training camp but latched on to Arizona’s practice squad for the majority of the year before being plucked away by Washington last December. They waived the Dallas native on Aug. 3 and the Eagles claimed him. Philadelphia stands at 79 players on their active roster.
The pedigree is there for Wilson, too. He is the son of Chris Wilson, a former 12th-round pick of the Bears in 1992. Chris was on the Eagles’ coaching staff as defensive line coach from 2016-2018, including in 2017 when Philly beat New England in Super Bowl LII. He is currently the defensive line coach at the University of Colorado, with a stop in Arizona in between. In a fun twist of fate, Caleb was on the field when the Eagles won the championship in 2018.
Brooks Looking Buff & Ripped in Gym Photos
Meanwhile, Brooks has been hitting the gym like a maniac since tearing his Achilles tendon on June 15. The Pro Bowl right guard has been known to do Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai in the offseason but his body transformation this year has been incredible.
Brandon Brooks transformation
This is a man who has been through 3 major surgeries last 18 months
Wearing a boot for his second torn Achilles
Don’t bet against this man coming back just as good as before
📸 @bbrooks_79
Brooks looked absolutely ripped in a recent photo posted on Instagram from Balance Studios in Fishtown and he’s reportedly down from 350 pounds to 294 pounds. His playing weight during the 2019 season was around 335 pounds.
According to The Inquirer‘s Les Bowen, Brooks has been purposefully pushing himself and he ideally would like to play lighter in an effort to “avoid strain on joints and ligaments, given his recent injury history.”
It was on purpose, I think kind of a discipline challenge to himself. He expects to gain maybe half the weight back as he gets closer to playing again, but he wants to play a bit lighter, and maybe avoid strain on joints and ligaments, given his recent injury history.
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Eagles Sign Son of Super Bowl Coach, ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ of 2019 NFL Draft