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The Philadelphia Eagles started the slow climb to the mountaintop by handing out 11 futures contracts. Teams use these deals to claim the rights to players they feel might make an impact next season while keeping them off waivers.
The biggest names on the list included guard/tackle Kayode Awosika, defensive end Cameron Malveaux, linebacker JaCoby Stevens, tight end Noah Togiai. All four of those guys saw significant action during the 2021 campaign and combined for 177 non-special-teams snaps. Players on futures contracts don’t count against the 53-man roster limit and earn the veteran minimum.
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Getting to Know Reserves/Futures Signings
G/T Kayode Awosika: The training camp standout saw 43 snaps in Week 18 versus Dallas after spending most of the year on the practice squad. The 6-foot-3, 312-pounder went undrafted out of the University of Buffalo where started 32 games, mainly at left tackle.
WR Deon Cain: A sixth-round pick in 2019, Cain didn’t see any playing time for the Eagles. The speedy receiver (4.43 seconds in the 40) has nine career receptions for 124 yards during stints in Indianapolis and Pittsburgh. He tallied 130 catches for 2,040 yards and 20 touchdowns over 42 games at Clemson.
LB Christian Elliss: The 6-foot-3, 233-pounder made his NFL debut in Week 18 against the Cowboys and recorded two tackles on 34 total snaps. Elliss — the son of retired Pro Bowler Luther Elliss — was inked as a rookie free agent out of Idaho where he posted 266 career tackles.
CB Craig James: The fourth-year corner was relegated to the practice squad after serving as a valuable special-teams player and team captain in 2020. The 5-foot-10, 195-pounder has 17 tackles in 21 NFL games, including a memorable pass deflection in 2019.
DE Matt Leo: The Australian “plumber” originally joined the Eagles in 2020 through the NFL International Player Pathway Program. Leo (6-foot-7, 280 pounds) is still waiting for his first regular-season snap following two years on the practice squad.
DE Cameron Malveaux: The 6-foot-5, 265-pound edge rusher saw legitimate burn down the stretch (81 defensive snaps), including an assisted tackle in the playoff loss to Tampa. Malveaux has notched two sacks and four quarterback hits during stints with seven different teams. He went undrafted out of Houston (teammates with Greg Ward Jr.) in 2017.
S Jared Mayden: The Alabama product was elevated from the practice squad for four games in 2021. He had six total tackles while playing safety and special teams for Philly. He started 11 games for the Crimson Tide in 2019 during their championship runner-up season.
CB Mac McCain: He endured an odd year after being plucked off the Broncos’ practice squad, then heading back to Denver when the Eagles needed to promote Jordan Howard. McCain (6-foot, 175 pounds) had two tackles in two games for Philly.
LB JaCoby Stevens: The converted safety from LSU was cut coming out of training camp before landing on the Eagles’ practice squad. They used a sixth-round pick on him. Stevens (6-foot-2, 230 pounds) saw 44 defensive snaps in two games and made three tackles.
TE Noah Togiai: Originally signed as a rookie free agent in 2020, the practice-squad tight end earned the trust of the coaching staff quickly. It wasn’t that hard since he knew Nick Sirianni from his Indianapolis days. Togiai (6-foot-4, 246 pounds) has played in five NFL games.
DT Marvin Wilson: Wilson (6-foot-4, 303 pounds) was viewed as one of the most hyped rookies coming out of the 2021 draft. The Eagles poached him off the Browns’ practice squad to start the year. He was widely considered the best interior linemen in the country at Florida State in 2018.
Nick Sirianni Talks Relationship with Eagles’ Brass
The relationship between Doug Pederson and Philadelphia Eagles’ brass, mainly owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman, turned out to be an icy one at the end. According to reports, Lurie demanded weekly meetings to discuss the gameplan and Roseman often had input (full control?) on gameday activations. They were micro-managing the head coach. Under Sirianni, that doesn’t appear to be the case.
“All I have ever gotten from Mr. Lurie is unconditional support,” Sirianni said. “He hired me to do a job and he’s trusting me to do that job. I really appreciate that and his support in it. That’s the relationship. What a great owner.”
Sirianni went on to praise Roseman for the way he built up the backend of the roster. Whenever a player went down, they had a capable backup ready to plug in. For example, Nate Herbig filling in for Brandon Brooks. And Sua Opeta for Herbig. The drop-off in production was minimal.
“It starts with the depth and the talent that Howie and his staff have brought in here,” Sirianni said. “Then to have guys be able to step in for them and play well has been unbelievable, because I think the teams that don’t do that, obviously they suffer from it.”
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