Familiarity can be a great asset in the business of football. Things run more smoothly when you have people on your side that you know and can depend on. When Nick Sirianni assumed the role of Philadelphia Eagles head coach, he brought along trusted friends and associates who had shared his grind with him.
When Kellen Moore left to take the New Orleans Saints job, he did the same. Doug Nussmeier and T.J. Paganetti followed Philadelphia’s former offensive coordinator to the Big Easy. They’ll serve as Moore’s OC and run game coordinator, respectively.
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Familiarity also plays a role in building an NFL roster. It’s no secret that the Eagles keep former Birds on speed dial. As they tweaked the roster after final preseason cuts, they reached out to familiar faces. Some may move the meter more than others, while all provide value for some pretty obvious reasons.
Eagles sign Marcus Epps for veteran leadership, and in light of the Andrew Mukuba injury.
Guess who’s back? Marcus Epps went from being claimed off waivers (2019) to starting for Philadelphia in a Super Bowl. The Birds didn’t get the result they wanted, but Epps showed growth and leadership that led to opportunities elsewhere.
Now, after stints with the Las Vegas Raiders and a short stay with the New England Patriots, the now-six-year veteran has come home to provide veteran leadership.
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Philadelphia cut Tristin McCollum to make room for Epps, which, to us, makes two obvious statements. One, Andrew Mukuba isn’t physically ready, and second, there’s some respect for what he can bring to a meeting and locker room. This is both an underrated and essential signing.
Kudos to the Eagles for recognizing the need to bring Fred Johnson back
What can we say about Fred Johnson that hasn’t already been said? Like Halapoulivaati Vaitai before him, Johnson has developed into a great backup swing tackle. Johnson is more skilled than Vaitai was, which says a lot. Things began rough for Vaitai, but he emerged under the guidance of the great Jeff Stoutland.
Johnson never wanted to leave Philadelphia, and he’s been all smiles since his return, complimenting new and old teammates for their mindset following a Super Bowl win. This acquisition isn’t underrated. Everyone knows precisely what Johnson brings to the table. It doesn’t get any better than what the Eagles have in Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson, but it’s nice to know they have insurance.
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The Eagles’ practice squad is loaded with familiar faces and loads of potential.
We wrap this one with a tip of the cap to the job that Howie Roseman and company have done. He has said they view their roster as a group of 70 men. He takes the same measure of care in building the active roster and the practice squad.
At the time of this story’s release, there is still room for players to be added, but all 14 men first announced as members were among the 90-man preseason roster. See? Familiarity always seems to win at some point.
The highlights of the scout team are the guys who have been on the active roster before. E.J. Jenkins, Patrick Johnson, and Eli Ricks can all play in this league. Please don’t rule out the possibility that Philadelphia will rely on them.
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Practice squads can sometimes be viewed as a form of football limbo. All of these guys want more essential roles, and that will serve them well as they develop.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Clear positives emerge from Eagles’ reacquisition of familiar talent
