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The Philadelphia Eagles are known for monitoring talented skill players on the waiver wire. Heck, they made a playoff run in 2019 by trotting out a whole receiving corps of practice squad players.
That ability to find diamonds in the rough is a strength of the organization. On Wednesday, the Eagles stuck to the blueprint by signing tight end Dalton Keene and wide receiver Auden Tate to the practice squad. They released quarterback Reid Sinnett (Ian Book’s arrival rendered Sinnett expendable) and running back La’Mical Perine to make room. The team still has one roster spot open on the 53.
Tate, a seventh-rounder of the Bengals in 2018, is a very intriguing prospect. The 6-foot-5, 228-pounder has the size to be a dangerous red-zone target, although he lacks elite speed. Let’s throw his 40 time out the window. Tate has proven he can be a reliable weapon as evidenced by his 2019 breakout campaign: 40 catches for 575 yards on 80 targets, with 1 touchdown.
Bill Belichick Loved Dalton Keene
Keene, a third-rounder of the Patriots in 2020, was supposed to be the heir apparent to Rob Gronkowski in New England. Bill Belichick traded three total picks — two fourth-rounders in 2020 draft, plus a sixth-rounder in 2021 — to acquire the Swiss Army Knife out of Virginia Tech. It didn’t work out, mainly due to a freak series of injuries.
Keene missed the entire 2021 season with a torn meniscus. Prior to that, he battled knee and neck injuries that limited his usage in 2020. The 23-year-old was waived by New England last month after registering three catches for 16 yards in six games. But the book hasn’t been written on the hybrid player who can line up at tight end or fullback.
NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein wrote this scouting report on Keene:
Swiss Army Knife versatility performing in-line, as a wingback, from the slot, as a fullback, and even as a personal protector in pass protection. He’s lean but well-defined and his play speed and competitiveness are both a plus. He will struggle against NFL power at the point of attack, but his ability to block in space and catch the football make him naturally suited for the H-back role, where teams can align him around the formation as needed.
Britain Covey or Devon Allen? Eagles Holding Spot on 53
The Eagles have been guarded about naming a punt returner for Week 1. Ditto for kick returner. Quez Watkins is listed at both spots on the team’s unofficial depth chart. However, special-teams coordinator Michael Clay refused to confirm that was the case, throwing Kenny Gainwell, Boston Scott, and Avonte Maddox into the mix.
Head coach Nick Sirianni could choose to call up a practice squad player — Britain Covey or Devon Allen makes the most sense — prior to kickoff on Sunday and let him return kicks. It would be a bit of a gamble to trust a rookie back there, but both guys have breakaway speed and play-making ability. Not for nothing, Covey has thrived as a punt returner throughout training camp.
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