Several weeks after A.J. Epenesa‘s Browns deal fell through, the veteran edge rusher has found a new home. The Eagles signed the former second-round pick, per a team announcement.
Philadelphia has signed Epenesa and guard Michael Jordan. The team waived linebackers Chandler Martin and Isiah King to clear roster space. Epenesa will head to Philly after six years in Buffalo.
Epenesa, 27, had committed to the Browns in March but saw the team express concerns about his physical and back out of the agreement. The Iowa product then visited the Dolphins and Bears but will vie to become an auxiliary rush option for an Eagles team that has again seen some turnover at its edge-rushing spots.
The team lost Jaelan Phillips in free agency but belatedly replaced him by trading for Jonathan Greenard during the draft. Philadelphia has also taken fliers on Arnold Ebiketie and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. The team released the unretired Brandon Graham, but that move may be procedural that and precede the franchise’s longest-tenured player returning. The Epenesa signing crowds Philly’s EDGE corps, with Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt in place as well. The Epenesa signing could also provide some insurance for the Eagles in case Graham does not re-sign.
Graham, 38, retired not long after Super Bowl LIX but agreed to come back in-season. The Eagles had just lost Za’Darius Smith to an in-season retirement. Graham then expressed interest at playing a 17th season. Already the only Eagle to play 16 years with the team, the 2010 first-round pick would seemingly factor into the organization’s supplementary EDGE situation, which would leave Ebiketie, Tryon-Shoyinka and Epenesa vying for limited playing time.
Playing well as an auxiliary Bills rusher from 2022-24, Epenesa only recorded 2.5 sacks last season. Buffalo consistently used Epenesa as a rotational cog, with Von Miller and then Gregory Rousseau anchoring the team’s pass rush. Epenesa tallied 6.5 sacks in 2022 and ’23, combining for 14 tackles for loss in those seasons. He then delivered a six-sack, eight-TFL 2024 to go with his only career safety. Epenesa does not have a sack in 14 career playoff games, and the Bills added Bradley Chubb in free agency before drafting Clemson edge rusher T.J. Parker in the second round.
The first- and second-most-famous Michael Jordans are unapproachable for the veteran O-lineman, but the enduring guard has continued to work as a starter at various stops. Brought in as a depth option by the Buccaneers last year, Jordan ended up starting nine of the 11 games he played. This came after he started 11 of 12 Patriots contests in 2024. Jordan was a 10-game Panthers starter in both 2020 and ’21, before serving as a 2022 Carolina backup and missing the 2023 season.
Jordan spent the 2023 season on the Packers’ practice squad and did not make the Pats or Bucs’ rosters out of training camp in the ensuing years. But the former Bengals fourth-rounder managed to move back onto each team’s roster for extended starter duty each year.
Pro Football Focus has never graded Jordan as a top-60 guard, but teams have continued to view him as a valuable backup. The Eagles return starters Landon Dickerson and Tyler Steen, though Dickerson considered retirement this offseason and missed time in 2025. Philly also drafted a guard in Round 6 (Micah Morris).
Maybe they can light a fire under him. Does he wear down with too much playing time?
This signing took awhile, and there was that failed physical with the Bears, so you wonder if teams were hesitant because of the medical. Evidently, the Eagles aren’t too concerned. If they got Epenesa on a low end deal though, it’s be a cheap gamble on an experienced depth piece/rotational player who can chip in several sacks and TFLs a year, or step in in case of injury. It’d be interesting to see what Epenesa signed for. I see more value there than with the Jordan signing, if Epenesa is healthy.
This is a solid dart throw by Howie & I’m excited to see if Epenesa turns into another Baun-like player for us.
A fine toss of a dart. Not much risk, and pretty decent upside. Typical Howie