Getty Cre'Von LeBlanc spent three productive seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles mostly as a nickel cornerback.
The Eagles have one open spot after making three moves to solidify the 53-man roster.
The first one was the positive one as Cre’Von LeBlanc returns to Philly. The team waived him on Sunday in a bit of a shocker but the promising young cornerback wasn’t subject to waivers. By cutting him loose, the Eagles were able to successfully add Jason Huntley to the roster and then pick LeBlanc back up the next day. It was kind of a genius manipulation of the waiver-wire system by GM Howie Roseman. LeBlanc projects as the No. 2 slot corner behind Nickell Robey-Coleman.
Meanwhile, the Eagles placed safety Will Parks and receiver Quez Watkins on short-term injured reserve (IR). The rule change is part of the NFL’s new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and allows players to return from injured reserve after three games instead of eight. Both Watkins and Parks will be eligible to play in Week 4. It’s great news for two guys with very specific roles in 2020: Watkins as a kick returner and Parks as the “big nickel” safety.
Roster Move: #Eagles have signed CB Cre’Von LeBlanc.
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Injury Updates, IR Decisions Explained
Parks, the Philly native, is out three to four weeks with a hamstring injury, per NFL Network’s James Palmer. Rookie K’Von Wallace should eat up his snaps at safety. Watkins, the sixth-rounder out of Southern Miss, was listed with an “upper-body” injury and missed a few practices at the end of camp. Look for an increased role for John Hightower with Watkins out.
#Eagles DB Will Parks suffered a hamstring injury per source. Original timetable is 4-6 weeks, but knowing Parks past with injuries, I would assume there’s a good chance it will be shorter than that.
Alshon Jeffery surprisingly landed on the active roster but he isn’t expected back until late September or early October. And there was some thought that receiver Jalen Reagor or edge rusher Derek Barnett may end up on short-term IR. Nope. Roseman attempted to explain his decision-making process.
“For that rule, not only do you have to carry the player through the 53, but you can’t switch him out with a claimed player, too,” Roseman told reporters on Saturday. “How fun that would be if you could; that you could just kind of switch them out. So you have to hold them through the initial claim tonight. Sometimes I’ve got to refresh myself on some of these rules.”
Watch Out for Explosive Dual-Threat RB
Not a lot of people understood the Eagles’ decision to sign Huntley over the weekend. Now his role is coming into clearer focus.
The fifth-round pick out of New Mexico State is a running back by trade and immediately projects as the team’s fourth option in the backfield, behind Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, and Corey Clement. His 4.37 speed in the 40 makes him another lightning-quick weapon in the Eagles’ new “track team offense.”
But think outside the box. Huntley was a lethal kick returner in college where he averaged 25.8 yards per return and tallied five total touchdowns in four years. That fell two short of tying the NCAA record. Huntley’s 100-yard return for a score in the 2017 Arizona Bowl was a scamper for the ages. The Texas native self-admittedly patterned his game after DeSean Jackson, too.
Here is what the Las Cruces Sun-News in New Mexico wrote about Huntley:
With five career kickoff return touchdowns, including a nation best three last year in 22 returns, opponents have become weary of kicking the ball to Huntley.
“I’m just hoping they shank one and I can get it, honestly,” Huntley said. “When we played Utah State (in 2018), after the game I told the kicker that he didn’t give me one. He said, ‘My coach told me if we kicked you the ball, we weren’t going to play again today.'”
With Jalen Reagor (torn labrum) on the shelf until at least Week 2 — and Watkins out until at least Week 4 — Huntley has the inside track at the Eagles’ kick or punt returner job. It’s likely an ongoing competition between him, Scott and slot receiver Greg Ward. And maybe Jackson gets the call in pressure situations.
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