Eagles considering promoting Paul Turner or Aaron Grymes for open roster spot

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The Eagles have had an open roster spot since releasing Josh Huff last week, and head coach Doug Pederson said Wednesday the club is considering promoting either wide receiver Paul Turner or cornerback Aaron Grymes from the practice squad to fill the vacancy.
 
Huff was released last Thursday following his arrest earlier in the week on various charges stemming from an arrest on the Walt Whitman Bridge. He later signed with the Buccaneers’ practice squad.
 
The Eagles faced the Giants with just 52 players on the 53-man roster, which means they only had to designate six inactive players.
 
Turner signed with the Eagles immediately after the draft and led the entire NFL with 17 receptions during the preseason. His 165 yards were eighth-most in the league.
 
He was released as part of the Eagles’ final cuts on Sept. 4 and re-signed a day later to the practice squad, where he’s remained the first nine weeks of the season.
 
Because of his outstanding preseason and the lack of production from the Eagles’ receivers, Turner has become something of a fan favorite over the past two months, with fans clamoring for the Eagles to not just activate him but give him a chance to play.
 
Turner is a 23-year-old undrafted rookie free agent from Louisiana Tech.
 
Grymes originally joined the Eagles in February. He was enjoying a very good training camp and preseason when he suffered a shoulder injury during the preseason game against the Steelers on Aug. 18 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. He had made a nice end zone interception earlier in that game.
 
But the Eagles designed Grymes waived-injured on Aug. 29 and he remained out of football until the Eagles re-signed him to the practice squad on Oct. 24, after Ron Brooks suffered a season-ending quad injury and was placed on injured reserve. He’s been on the practice squad the last two weeks.
 
Grymes, who played his college football at Idaho, spent three years in the Canadian Football League and won a Grey Cup championship with the Edmonton Eskimos in 2015, when the Eskimos beat the Ottawa Redblacks, 26-20, in Winnipeg.
 
The Eagles have four corners on the roster, but C.J. Smith is an undrafted rookie free agent who has yet to play a snap on defense, Jalen Mills is a rookie seventh-round pick, and Leodis McKelvin has struggled all year.
 
Executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman said last Thursday the Eagles would add a 53rd player to the roster in time for Sunday’s game against the Giants, but that never happened.
 
Asked Wednesday about the roster vacancy, Pederson said the Eagles are in no hurry to make a move.
 
“Well, we’ve got some guys we’re evaluating on our practice squad,” he said. “Paul Turner, Aaron Gryes … we’ve got some guys. We don’t have to make a move right now. We’re looking at those guys right now.”

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