Getty Undrafted rookie free agent Michael Jacquet is trying to earn a roster spot in Philadelphia.
The Eagles are adding cornerback Michael Jacquet to the practice squad.
Philadelphia signed Jacquet as an undrafted free agent rookie back in April but released him at the end of training camp. He played in 44 games for the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns from 2016-2019 where he recorded 94 total tackles, four interceptions and 14 pass breakups.
Jacquet converted from wide receiver to cornerback after his redshirt sophomore year and possesses the hybrid versatility the Eagles crave. In fact, Doug Pederson raved about the 23-year-old on the third day of practices when asked about the young guys making an impact.
“Jacquet as a corner has done some really, really nice things for us,” Pederson said.
The 6-foot-2, 203-pounder is a talented and explosive athlete who ran an unofficial 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He called himself an “offensive player at heart” after hauling in 46 receptions for 494 yards and three touchdowns in his first two collegiate seasons.
Prior to that, Jacquet was a highly-recruited high school quarterback who threw for 2,141 yards and 26 touchdowns, plus rushed for 720 yards and 17 scores. He earned three-time all-district honors while lettering in basketball and track at Beaumont Central High School in Texas. He is a cousin of former NBA All-Star Rashard Lewis.
“I’m an offensive player at heart,” Jacquet told The Advocate in 2019. “There’s not a lot of corners 6-2 and run a 4.4, but there’s a lot of receivers that do. I think I have an advantage.”
Eagles UDFA Highlights
Watch “Most underrated DB in the nation! Louisiana-Lafayette Michael Jacquet III 2018 Highlights!” on YouTube
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Jacquet gives the Eagles another insurance policy at cornerback with Craig James on short-term IR and Avonte Maddox (ankle) out for “some time.” They are down to just four corners on the active roster: Darius Slay, Trevor Williams, Nickell Robey-Coleman, Cre’Von LeBlanc.
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Eagles Add TE Jason Croom to Practice Squad
The team also added former Bills tight end Jason Croom to the practice squad on Tuesday. The undrafted free agent out of Tennessee played in 15 games (three starts) for Buffalo in 2018 and caught 22 balls for 259 yards and a touchdown (387 offensive snaps). They released him from their practice squad on Sept. 22.
The 6-foot-5, 245-pounder was seen as a down-field threat at the tight end position thanks to sneaky good speed for a big guy (4.69 in the 40) but never improved his blocking enough to carve out a roster spot in Buffalo. Croom is another hybrid player, a converted college wide receiver who racked up 60 catches for 816 yards and six touchdowns in four years. He missed the entire 2015 campaign with a serious knee injury.
Happy Birthday Jason Croom! #Bills
Croom has potential and his presence provides some much-needed depth for the Eagles with Dallas Goedert nursing an ankle injury. Philadelphia currently has just two non-injured tight ends on the active roster: Zach Ertz, Richard Rodgers. They also have Caleb Wilson on the practice squad, the son of a former Eagles assistant coach.
To make room on the roster for Jacquet and Croom, the Eagles released a pair of undrafted players in tight end Jordan Franks and running back Michael Warren. The latter had been seen as a possible “bruising” complement to Miles Sanders but never panned out in camp.
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