The Eagles on Tuesday afternoon made a roster move, signing cornerback Craig James to the roster and waiving receiver Greg Ward.
Two thoughts on this move:
1. It’s not surprising that the Eagles added James to the active roster. After Ronald Darby’s hamstring injury, the Eagles had just three healthy cornerbacks. Now, they’ll start Rasul Douglas, Sidney Jones and Avonte Maddox, while James will be their only backup.
2. This is a really strong sign that Alshon Jeffery will play on Thursday. Jeffery (calf) missed Sunday’s game, but was a full participant in Tuesday’s practice and appears on track to play (see story). We know DeSean Jackson isn’t going to play, so the Eagles wouldn’t go into a game with just three healthy receivers (Nelson Agholor, Mack Hollins, JJ Arcega-Whiteside).
Ward, 24, was active for his NFL game on Sunday, but got just two offensive snaps. He was a standout in training camp, but is buried on the depth chart. Even with two injuries on Sunday, he couldn’t get on the field. Ward first came to the Eagles as an undrafted free agent back in 2017 out of the University of Houston, where he was a quarterback.
And James, 23, was active in Week 2 for the Eagles against Atlanta and played one snap. He was initially added to the Eagles’ practice squad on Sept. 2. James went undrafted out of Southern Illinois last year and played some for the Vikings as a rookie.
James will be the Eagles’ only backup cornerback for now, but Malcolm Jenkins could play the nickel corner spot in a pinch if they need him to.
NFL
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