Eagles’ Carson Wentz To Miss Time
Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz is not expected to play this week, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Wentz has been dealing with a back issue and, depending on how things go on Sunday against the Rams, he may not play again in 2018. 
The NFC East ship has pretty much sailed, but the defending champs presently have an 18% chance of making the playoffs, according to FiveThirtyEight.com. A win against the Rams on Sunday night would go a long way towards improving their Wild Card odds, but they’ll be behind the 8-ball if they lose. If they can’t stop Todd Gurley & Co., Wentz will likely be shut down for the rest of the year.
Wentz came back this year from a torn ACL and LCL suffered late in the 2017 season. He hasn’t looked quite the same this year, in part because of his inability to properly plant on his left foot. Between that and the back issue, the Eagles are inclined to play it safe when it comes to their franchise quarterback.
The Eagles would obviously like to have Wentz as they take on one of the league’s most fearsome teams, but they are fortunate to have last year’s Super Bowl hero Nick Foles waiting in the wings. The Rams are also coming off of a tough loss to the Bears, so the absence of Wentz certainly doesn’t rule out an upset. If Foles can guide the Eagles to victory, they could conceivably have Wentz back in time for their Dec. 23 game against the Cardinals, depending on how the QB responds to treatment.
The Eagles are 5-6 in Wentz’s starts this year. He’s completing a career-high 69.6% of his throws, but he has thrown for just 21 touchdowns against seven interceptions. Last year, Wentz finished out with 33 TDs against seven INTs.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/11/18
Here are the latest NFL practice squad decisions:
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Shay Fields
New York Jets
- Signed: RB Joel Bouagnon, LB Jonathan Celestin
- Released: S Tyvis Powell
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Josh Hawkins
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: TE Marcus Lucas
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: LB Emmanuel Smith
Eagles Place RB Corey Clement On IR
It’s official now. The Eagles have placed running back Corey Clement on injured reserve, according to a team announcement, and defensive end Josh Sweat has also been shut down for the year. To take their places, the Eagles added running back Boston Scott from the Saints’ practice squad and signed defensive end Daeshon Hall.
Clement picked up the slack for Philly in the absence of Jay Ajayi and Darren Sproles. Sproles recently returned to action, but the Eagles lost Ajayi for the year thanks to a torn ACL, and they’re still looking for an adequate punch in the backfield. The loss of Clement won’t help matters, but they’ll try to get by with Sproles, Josh Adams, Wendell Smallwood, and Scott for the rest of the season.
Sweat, a fourth-round pick in the 2018 draft, flashed serious potential with a 4.53 second 40-yard-dash time at the combine. This year, he was largely buried behind a deep group of defensive linemen, but the Eagles still have high hopes for him going forward.
The Eagles – sans Clement and Sweat – will face the Rams on Sunday night. It’s a tough matchup for sure, but the defending champs may be emboldened by L.A.’s weak performance against the Bears in Week 14.
Eagles RB Corey Clement To Miss Time
Eagles running back Corey Clement is expected to miss time with a knee injury, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. That would help to explain Monday’s signing of Boston Scott, who was previously on the Saints’ practice squad. 
Injuries have hit the Eagles hard this year, particularly at the running back position – standout Jay Ajayi was lost to an ACL tear in October and veteran Darren Sproles missed Weeks 2-12 with a hamstring injury. In their stead, Clement took on a bigger role in the backfield and ran for 259 yards off of 68 carries, resulting in a so-so 3.8 yards per carry average.
It’s unclear whether an IR trip is in Clement’s future. For however long he’s out, the Eagles’ RB depth chart will consist of Darren Sproles, Josh Adams, Wendell Smallwood, and Scott.
The NFC East ship has pretty much sailed, but the defending champs presently have an 18% chance of making the playoffs, according to FiveThirtyEight.com. A win against the Rams on Sunday night would go a long way towards improving their Wild Card odds, but they’ll be behind the 8-ball if they lose.
Eagles To Sign RB Boston Scott Off Saints’ Practice Squad
The Eagles’ running back room has seen some twists and turns this season, and Corey Clement‘s latest injury provided another Sunday.
As a result, the Eagles are bringing in outside help. Philadelphia signed Boston Scott off New Orleans’ practice squad on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
A rookie sixth-round pick, Scott has spent the season on the Saints’ taxi squad. He was an initial New Orleans roster cut but landed on the practice squad shortly after cutdown weekend. He has not suited up for a game yet. The Louisiana Tech alum rushed for 1,047 yards as a senior last season.
With the Eagles already employing Clement, Darren Sproles, Josh Adams and Wendell Smallwood, this would point to a Clement IR trip — unless the defending Super Bowl champions are keen on keeping five running backs. Clement missed time earlier this season but resurfaced in Philly’s rotation for productive outings against the Giants and Redskins.
Eagles Place CB Jalen Mills On IR
The foot injury that was expected to shut down Jalen Mills for the season prompted the Eagles to place the third-year cornerback on IR.
Philadelphia will shelve Mills for the rest of the season, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets the team will promote defensive tackle Bruce Hector to its active roster.
Mills joins Ronald Darby as Eagles corners on IR. Clinging to NFC East title hopes going into a crucial game in Dallas, the defending champions aren’t as depleted as they recently were at this position. Sidney Jones returned to the Eagles’ lineup on Monday night. However, Avonte Maddox did not practice this week and is not expected to play. Jones and Rasul Douglas are expected to be Philadelphia’s top corners against the Cowboys.
A 2016 seventh-round pick, Mills has not played since October. Pro Football Focus graded Mills, Jones and Douglas near the bottom of the 2018 cornerback contingent. The Eagles rank 19th in pass defense DVOA. That said, Philly has managed back-to-back wins over NFC East competition — the second of which coming against a more injury-damaged Washington team.
One more season remains on Mills’ rookie contract. Hector is a rookie UDFA who has played in six games this season.
Jalen Mills Expected To Miss Rest Of Season
It sounds like Jalen Mills‘ season has come to an end. Zach Berman of Philly.com reports that the Eagles cornerback will likely be shut down due to a foot injury. The team will also reportedly place the defensive back on the injured reserve.
The 24-year-old has been out since late October after injuring his foot, and the Eagles kept him on the active roster with the hope that he’d be able to return from the stretch run. Berman notes that Mills was seen wearing a boot this week (he wasn’t seen wearing a boot immediately following the injury), and with only four weeks remaining, Philly decided to shut down the former seventh-round.
The 2016 seventh-round pick was having another productive season, compiling 42 tackles and nine passes defended in eight games (eight starts). Mills had a standout campaign for Philly last year, finishing with 64 tackles, 14 passes defended, and three interceptions (including a pick-six).
The Eagles secondary has been ravished by injuries, as Mills will be joining fellow starting cornerback Ronald Darby and starting safety Rodney McLeod on the injured reserve. With Avonte Maddox recovering from a knee/ankle injury, Philadelphia is left with five healthy cornerbacks on their active roster: Sidney Jones, Rasul Douglas, Chandon Sullivan, Cre’von LeBlanc, and De’Vante Bausby.
Opinion: Mike Groh Not To Blame For Eagles' Offensive Woes
- The Eagles‘ offensive struggles shouldn’t be blamed on offensive coordinator Mike Groh, argues Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Groh, notably, doesn’t call the plays in Philadelphia, as head coach Doug Pederson holds those duties. The Eagles suffered a major brain drain this offseason, losing both ex-OC Frank Reich to the Colts and ex-QBs coach John DeFilippo to the Vikings, and now rank just 20th in offensive DVOA after finishing eighth a season ago.
Fritz Pollard Alliance Recommends HC Candidates
Every year, the Fritz Pollard Alliance releases a list of recommended minority head coaching candidates. This year’s edition is nearly double in size and features the likes of Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores and Cowboys defensive backs coach/defensive passing game coordinator Kris Richard, as Mike Jones of USA Today writes. 
Here’s the complete list of suggested candidates:
- Keith Armstrong (Falcons special teams coordinator)
- Teryl Austin (Former Bengals defensive coordinator)
- Eric Bieniemy (Chiefs offensive coordinator)
- Jim Caldwell (former Lions and Colts head coach)
- George Edwards (Vikings defensive coordinator)
- Brian Flores (Patriots linebackers coach)
- Leslie Frazier (Bills defensive coordinator)
- Raheem Morris (Falcons assistant head coach/wide receivers coach)
- Hue Jackson (special assistant to the head coach of the Bengals; former Browns head coach)
- Kris Richard (Cowboys defensive backs coach/defensive passing game coordinator)
- Duce Staley (Eagles assistant head coach/running backs coach)
Flores, the de facto defensive coordinator of the Patriots, figures to be a hot coaching candidate this year. The same goes for Bieniemy, who is helping to guide one of the league’s most dangerous offenses.
Others on this list, such as Jackson and Austin, seem unlikely to garner real consideration for head coaching positions this offseason. The Browns turned the corner after dumping Jackson and appointing Gregg Williams as the team’s interim head coach, which isn’t a great endorsement for the offensive guru. Meanwhile, the Bengals hired Austin in January but fired him earlier this month as his defense was one of the lowest ranked in the NFL.
Eagles Researched Reuben Foster
- The Eagles were the lone NFL team to contact the Tampa Police Department for more details on linebacker Reuben Foster‘s recent domestic violence arrest, according to A.J. Perez of USA Today. Foster’s arrest — his third of the year — led to his immediate release from the 49ers. Most observers didn’t expect Foster to get claimed off waivers given his track record and the seriousness of his most recent episode, but the Redskins did place a claim for the troubled linebacker (and were the only club to do so). Washington has been slammed for taking on Foster, leading team executive Doug Williams to push against the backlash in an interview with Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post. “The high risk was the beat-up that we’re going to take from PR,” said Williams. “We understood that from a PR standpoint, and we’re taking it. The most important thing is, we’re hoping that things come out and it wasn’t the way that everything has been perceived. We don’t know that. We have to wait and see.”