The Philadelphia Eagles announced two roster moves on Wednesday, one day after doing a bit of house-cleaning. The team signed cornerback Kevon Seymour to the practice squad, plus activated tight end Zach Ertz from injured reserve.
The Eagles are prepping this week for a tough matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Ertz’s return should spark a stagnant offense, adding a positive spin to what has been a trying three-week stretch for the Eagles. Carson Wentz admitted that his presence could open up the playbook and help build up his own confidence.
Meanwhile, Seymour continues to add depth to a cornerbacks group down Cre’Von LeBlanc (ankle) and Craig James (shoulder). The Eagles only have four active corners (Darius Slay, Avonte Maddox, Michael Jacquet, Nickell Robey-Coleman) with Seymour and newcomer Jameson Houston down on the practice squad.
The Eagles also activated receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside from the COVID-19 list and officially placed right tackle Lane Johnson on IR. Arcega-Whiteside has been out since Nov. 19 and his role moving forward remains unclear with Alshon Jeffery back in the picture. The second-year guy out of Stanford has been heavily scrutinized after the team took him over DK Metcalf in the 2019 draft.
Looking back at the 2019 NFL Draft 👀
JJ Arcega-Whiteside career: 12 rec, 214 yds
D.K. Metcalf tonight: 10 rec, 177 yds
Follow the Heavy on Eagles Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Seymour Showed Promise in Buffalo
Seymour was a sixth-round pick (218th overall) of the Buffalo Bills in 2016 where he played 15 games. He recorded three pass breakups as a rookie before being traded to the Carolina Panthers the following year.
Unfortunately, Seymour suffered a hamstring injury and the Panthers placed him on IR in 2018 before eventually waiving him. He has 44 total tackles and seven pass breakups in 31 NFL games. He hasn’t played in a game since 2017.
The 27-year-old was in an unenviable position in Buffalo having to first step in for shutdown cornerback Stephon Gilmore during training camp. He didn’t win that job, instead, he took over as the nickel corner. But Seymour was thrust into a starting role when (wait for it) former Eagle Ronald Darby went down. He ended up starting three games in 2016 under former Bills head coach Rex Ryan.
Kevon Seymour mixing in for Ronald Darby with Bills first team defense.
“He’s confident. He can run,” Ryan said of Seymour, via the Buffalo News. “Those are the two biggest things, if you have confidence and you can run, then you can play that spot.”
Fast? That has Philly written all over it. Seymour ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds at the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine.
Surgery to Fix ‘Moderate’ Vision Impairment
This probably isn’t the first thing you want to hear about a new cornerback but it’s true. The 6-foot, 185-pounder underwent a procedure to fix “moderate vision impairment,” according to the Bills website. After mentioning to his coaches that he was having trouble tracking balls in the lights, Seymour was sent to an eye doctor who told him he had 20/60 vision. He had laser eye surgery to fix it.
“The doctor told me my vision was bad,” Seymour said. “He said, ‘I don’t know how you were playing and competing on this level. You’ve either got to be super athletic or super fast.’ Fortunately, those are parts of my playing style.”
Eye care is close to @KevonSeymour‘s heart and vital to his career.
He teamed with Atwal Eye Care to provide free eye exams for local kids!
Prior to Buffalo, Seymour was a standout at the University of Southern California (USC) where he had 127 tackles, 18 deflections, one fumble recovery, and three interceptions in 35 games (24 starts). He also returned seven kickoffs for 92 yards (13.1 average) during his sophomore campaign in 2013.
He was named Las Vegas Bowl Defensive Outperformer of the Game that year after making a team-high seven tackles against Fresno State. The three-year starter at USC was viewed as a “special-teams demon” coming out of college, via Bleacher Report:
With above-the-line fluidity and speed in the open field, Seymour looked ready to become a top-100 player. He was smart, poised and had NFL instincts in coverage on both breaking and vertical routes. Seymour is a special teams demon and added 19 special teams tackles in his career, according to the school. He’ll have an immediate impact on kickoff and punt coverage.
READ ALSO:
Comments
Eagles Sign ‘Laser Eye’ Ex-Bills CB, Activate Pro Bowl TE