Getty Former NC State TE Cary Angeline is shooting for a spot on the Eagles' roster.
The Philadelphia Eagles have some depth issues at tight end after losing Jason Croom to a torn right patella tendon injury. The team placed the fourth-year player on injured reserve on Saturday.
Croom, who went undrafted in 2017, was carted off the field during Thursday’s preseason game. He saw action in four games last season for the Eagles and caught a three-yard touchdown pass in Week 6. The 6-foot-5, 246-pounder has 23 receptions for 262 yards and two scores in 19 career games during stints in Philadelphia and Buffalo.
The Eagles are down to just four tight ends on the 85-man roster: Dallas Goedert, Zach Ertz, Richard Rodgers, Jack Stoll. The decreasing numbers there would seem to indicate that Ertz won’t be traded. Head coach Nick Sirianni has preached competition at every position, so don’t expect that philosophy to change. He’ll amp up the intensity with the guys he has left. Especially coming off a 35-0 loss to the New England Patriots.
“You know, again, just every time you step out there it’s not like just because of who we played or what we ran, doesn’t mean we’re not competing,” Sirianni told reporters on Thursday night. “Every time we step on the field, we want to compete our tails off, and today’s game was no exception.”
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Eagles Work Out Former N.C. State TE
Former North Carolina State tight end Cary Angeline worked out for the Eagles on Saturday, per the NFL transaction wire. He was recently waived by the Arizona Cardinals after originally going undrafted. The Philly native (Chester Springs, PA) was named the Wolfpack’s top receiver as a junior and hauled in a team-high five touchdowns. He left the school with 61 catches for 960 yards and 12 touchdowns in 25 games.
Cary Angeline was supposed to be #USC‘s Zach Ertz. Guess he wound up being Chris Clark?
Angeline transferred from USC as a sophomore and sat out the first two games of the 2018 season (via NCAA transfer rules). The 6-foot-7, 250-pounder ran the 40-yard dash in 4.84 seconds and posted a 29-inch vertical jump at his official pro day. Angeline entered the NFL draft with concerns over his agility and quickness, although his size and length make him a matchup nightmare in the slot. He’s also considered a “competitive blocker,” per The Draft Network.
Most receptions of 20+ yards by power-five TEs in 2019
1. Hunter Bryant – 7
2. Charlie Kolar – 6
3. Cary Angeline – 5
3. Jalen Wydermyer – 5
Angeline said he watches film on all the top tight ends in the NFL, but his game compares best to finesse guys like Zach Ertz and Jack Doyle. He’s been praised for solid route-running skills, too.
“I’m always trying to watch the top guys, whether it’s Travis Kelce or Rob Gronkowski,” Angeline told The Spun. “I’m also trying to watch guys who have a similar playing style, like Jack Doyle and Zach Ertz. I’m always trying to study the greats and take things from their game and apply it to mine.”
Bill Belichick Thanks Eagles for Joint Practices
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick gets a bad rep for being the NFL’s version of Darth Vader. Be that as it may, Belichick went out of his way to thank the Eagles’ organization for hosting him and his team all week during their joint practices. He credited them for improving the Patriots.
“First of all, I want to thank the Eagles for the week that we had [in Philadelphia] in terms of practicing with them,” Belichick said. “It was really a productive week all the way from the top from ownership, Howie [Roseman], Nick [Sirianni], and their staff. It was a great opportunity for us to come down and practice against them. We got a lot out of those practices. We’re a better team than we were when we came down here, that’s really the main goal.”
Bill Belichick back out on the NovaCare practice fields. First of two joint practices between Eagles and Patriots about to begin.