Eagles To Bring Back QB Ian Book
Dealing with multiple injuries at quarterback, the Eagles hosted Ian Book on a visit. That meeting will lead to a free agency addition. Book is signing with Philadelphia.
This is a practice squad deal, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo. With Jalen Hurts in concussion protocol and backup Kenny Pickett dealing with a rib injury, the Eagles are suddenly vulnerable at the game’s most important position. Book profiles as insurance.
Book is making a return trip to Philly, having been with the team for just more than a year earlier in his career. The Eagles claimed Book off waivers from the Saints in August 2022 and carried him until moving on in August 2023. He will join Tanner McKee as healthy Philly QBs presently.
As he goes through the protocol, Hurts did not practice Wednesday. His availability for Week 17 is up in the air. Pickett logged a limited session on Christmas Day, but the former Steelers starter-turned-Hurts backup did not make it through his first extended 2024 appearance unscathed. McKee did not see any game action, but he would be the next man up if both Philadelphia’s starter and backup could not go against the Cowboys. The Eagles drafted McKee in the 2023 sixth round.
The Saints made Book a 2021 fourth-round pick, and he made an emergency start that season. A Saints team wrecked by COVID-19 turned to Book in a Monday-night outing against the Dolphins. It did not go well for the hosts that night, as Book threw two interceptions during the short-notice start. The Notre Dame alum has not played in a regular-season game since. The Eagles rostered him during their 2022 Super Bowl LVII season but did not keep him for the 2023 season, having drafted McKee to play behind Hurts and Marcus Mariota.
Book, 26, has bounced from the Saints to the Eagles to the Patriots to the Chiefs. He has not been with a team since being cut by Kansas City in August. To make room on their practice squad, the Eagles released DB Tariq Castro-Fields. The team also signed running back Lew Nichols to its P-squad.
Eagles Cut Down Roster To 53 Players
The Eagles are hoping to rebound from a disappointing end to their 2023 campaign. Before they can do that, the team had to make some tough roster decisions as they got down to 53 players. The team announced the following moves:
Released:
- LB Oren Burks
- WR Parris Campbell
- OL Nick Gates
- OL Matt Hennessy
- WR John Ross
- OL Brett Toth
Waived:
- OL Gottlieb Ayedze
- OT Anim Dankwah
- RB Tyrion Davis-Price
- TE Kevin Foelsch
- DT Gabe Hall
- WR Griffin Hebert
- DE Tarron Jackson
- TE E.J. Jenkins
- CB Josh Jobe
- OLB Terrell Lewis
- C Dylan McMahon
- CB Zech McPhearson
- RB Kendall Milton
- DT P.J. Mustipher
- RB Lew Nichols
- OL Jason Poe
- TE Armani Rogers
- S Andre Sam
- LB Brandon Smith
- CB Shon Stephens
- OT Laekin Vakalahi
- WR Austin Watkins
Waived/injured:
- WR Jacob Harris
- WR Joseph Ngata
- S Caden Sterns
Placed on IR (designated for return):
- TE Albert Okwuegbunam (story)
- WR Ainias Smith (story)
Placed on reserve/PUP:
After carrying only four wideouts on their initial 53-man roster in 2023, the team is carrying five WRs heading into 2024. Still, some notable names earned their walking papers today. Parris Campbell is only two years removed from a 63-catch season with the Colts, but the wideout was limited to only 20 receptions with the Giants in 2023. John Ross continues to get opportunities by virtue of his first-round billing, but the former ninth-overall pick hasn’t seen the field since a 10-game showing with the Giants in 2021.
Oren Burks missed a chunk of the summer with an injury, but his release is still a bit of a surprise. The former third-round pick spent the past two seasons with the 49ers, where he started eight of his 32 appearances. The veteran has also made a name for himself on special teams, where he’s averaged more than 277 snaps per season.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/18/24
Here are Thursday’s reserve/futures deals:
Los Angeles Rams
- K Tanner Brown
Philadelphia Eagles
- DT Thomas Booker, OL Le’Raven Clark, WR Shaq Davis, DT Noah Elliss, S Mekhi Garner, CB Mario Goodrich, WR Jacob Harris, WR Griffin Hebert, DE Tarron Jackson, TE E.J. Jenkins, DE Terrell Lewis, S Tristin McCollum, CB Tiawan Mullen, WR Joseph Ngata, RB Lew Nichols, G Jason Poe, LB Brandon Smith, OL Lecitus Smith, OL Brett Toth, WR Austin Watkins
Washington Commanders
- WR Brycen Tremayne
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/16/23
Practice squad moves from today:
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: CB Amani Oruwariye
- Released: TE Derek Parish
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: WR DJ Turner, CB Sam Webb
- Placed on practice squad IR: T Sebastian Gutierrez, TE Noah Togiai
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: RB Lew Nichols
- Released: RB Bryant Koback
Washington Commanders
- Signed: DT Abdullah Anderson
- Released: DE William Bradley-King
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/7/23
Today’s minor transactions:
Green Bay Packers
- Waived from IR: RB Lew Nichols
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted: TE Matt Bushman, DT Matt Dickerson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived from IR: WR Milton Wright
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived from IR: LB Ryan Smenda
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived from IR: CB Tay Gowan
Tennessee Titans
- Waived from IR: DT Tyler Shelvin
The Chiefs hinted at Travis Kelce‘s status for tonight’s season opener when they added a tight end to the active roster. Matt Bushman was undrafted out of BYU in 2021 and has spent much of the past two years on the Chiefs’ practice squad. With Kelce inactive, Bushman could make his NFL debut tonight, although he’ll be behind Noah Gray and Blake Bell on the depth chart.
Packers Place CB Eric Stokes On PUP, Set 53-Man Roster
The Packers will roll into the 2023 campaign without cornerback Eric Stokes, who was placed on PUP today. The organization made additional moves to get to the 53-man roster limit:
Released:
Waived:
- TE Austin Allen
- LB Keshawn Banks
- WR Jadakis Bonds
- WR Cody Chrest
- T Jean Delance
- WR Grant DuBose
- C James Empey
- CB Tyrell Ford
- S Innis Gaines
- CB Elijah Hamilton
- CB William Hooper
- CB Shemar Jean-Charles
- DL Jason Lewan
- RB Nate McCrary
- QB Alex McGough
- WR Bo Melton
- WR Dre Miller
- LB Arron Mosby
- DL Antonio Moultrie
- LB Kenneth Odumegwu
- LS Matt Orzech
- FB Henry Pearson
- LB Jimmy Phillips Jr.
- LB Marvin Pierre
- S Benny Sapp III
- C Cole Schneider
- DL Chris Slayton
- RB Patrick Taylor
- T Kadeem Telfort
- CB Kiondre Thomas
- WR Duece Watts
Placed on reserve/PUP:
- CB Eric Stokes
Placed on IR:
Waived/injured:
- RB Tyler Goodson
- LS Broughton Hatcher
- RB Lew Nichols
Stokes continues to rehab from foot and knee injuries that limited him to only nine games in 2022. His placement on PUP means he’ll have to sit out at least the first four games before being eligible for activation. The 2021 first-round pick has started 23 of his 25 appearances for the Packers, collecting 81 tackles, 14 passes defended, and one interception.
Meanwhile, Moore won’t be eligible to play for the Packers in 2023 after getting placed on injured reserve with a knee injury. Moore joined the Packers this offseason after spending the first five seasons of his career with the 49ers. He sat out the entire 2021 campaign but otherwise appeared in 61 games across four healthy seasons with San Francisco, collecting 108 tackles.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/5/23
Here are a few more mid- to late-round draft picks who signed their four-year rookie contracts today:
Green Bay Packers
- DL Colby Wooden (fourth round, Auburn)
- WR Dontayvion Wicks (fifth round, Virginia)
- DL Karl Brooks (sixth round, Bowling Green)
- K Anders Carlson (sixth round, Auburn)
- CB Carrington Valentine (seventh round, Kentucky)
- RB Lew Nichols (seventh round, Central Michigan)
- S Anthony Johnson Jr. (seventh round, Iowa State)
Indianapolis Colts
- CB Darius Rush (fifth round, South Carolina)
- S Daniel Scott (fifth round, California)
- DE Titus Leo (sixth round, Wagner)
- CB Jaylon Jones (seventh round, Texas A&M)
- T Jake Witt (seventh round, Northern Michigan)
New York Giants
- RB Eric Gray (fifth round, Oklahoma)
- CB Tre Hawkins (sixth round, Old Dominion)
- S Gervarrius Owens (seventh round, Houston)
New York Jets
- RB Israel Abanikanda (fifth round, Pittsburgh)
- LB Zaire Barnes (sixth round, Western Michigan)
- TE Zack Kuntz (seventh round, Old Dominion)