Eagles give up on 2017 4th-round pick Donnel Pumphrey

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Donnel Pumphrey, the Eagles’ oft-injured 2017 fourth-round pick, was among the Eagles’ releases Saturday.

Pumphrey, the all-time NCAA rushing leader at San Diego State, had a terrible preseason last year, spent the season on Injured Reserve with a mild hamstring injury, then got off to a good start this preseason only to get hurt again and miss the first three preseason games.

He caught three passes for 39 yards against the Jets on Thursday night but it wasn’t enough, and Pumphrey said good-bye early Saturday afternoon via Twitter.

Pumphrey is an emotional kid who wears his heart on his sleeve and that sure came through on Twitter:

Pumphrey is the first Eagles fourth-round pick to be released without playing in a single regular-season game since Scott Peters, a center out of Arizona State drafted in the fourth round in 2002.

The only other Eagles fourth-round picks since 1986 who never played a snap for the Eagles are defensive back Damien Robinson out of Iowa, a fourth-round pick in 1997, and Cal quarterback Dave Barr, drafted in 1995. Robinson went on to have a very good career with Tampa and had six interceptions in 2000.

Pumphrey began the preseason in a battle with veterans Wendell Smallwood and Matt Jones and rookie Josh Adams for a possible fourth running back spot, but he left the practice field the Tuesday before the first preseason game and didn’t make it back to practice until this past week.

Pumphrey, 23, is eligible for the practice squad if he clears waivers on Sunday.

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