This offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles made some big moves as they look to reclaim the NFC East. They sent both offensive coordinator Brian Johnson and defensive coordinator Sean Desai packing. Coming in will be Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio in their place.
On offense, Moore will have a new running back to lean on with Saquon Barkley. Defensively, Bryce Huff joins an already strong front seven, and the Eagles shored up their secondary with the selections of Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft.
With all that going on, a few players from 2023 still find themselves looking for work this year. Here are three former Eagles still trying to land a job as OTAs begin.
3. Justin Evans, S
A former second-round pick out of Texas A&M, Justin Evans spent the first four years of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He started strong through the first two seasons but an Achilles injury ahead of Week 1 sidelined him in 2019. He was unable to make the roster in 2020 after failing a physical and it wasn’t until 2022 he got another shot.
This time, it was with the New Orleans Saints, and after playing in 15 games he was signed by the Eagles to a one-year contract. Philly hasn’t shown interest in re-signing Evans, however, since he played in just four games before being injured again. He has the talent to get the job done and started all four games with the Eagles but his injury history will make it hard for teams to roll the dice.
2. Zach Cunningham, LB
His opportunity came late in 2023 as well but he made the most out of it.
Zach Cunningham, who was once a promising star for the Houston Texans, didn’t sign with Philadelphia until August 6 last year but made his way to the starting lineup once he was under contract. In 13 games, he recorded 85 tackles, broke up four passes, and had a fumble recovery.
It was a decent season overall for the Vanderbilt product but at 29 years of age, he was always a stop-gap solution. This wasn’t the same player who once had a league-leading 164 tackles, which is what Cunningham put up in 2020 for the Texans.
He wore out his welcome in Houston, leading to their breakup and he spent time with the Tennessee Titans before landing in Philly. He is still capable of starting, even if he’s not going to put up Pro Bowl numbers but it’s not likely the Eagles give him that chance. They were less than thrilled with the performance of their linebackers in 2023 and have worked to revamp the unit.
The Eagles signed Devin White, Oren Burks, and Zack Baun while selecting Jeremiah Trotter, Jr. in the NFL Draft. Even without the Eagles calling, Cunningham should find a home in 2024, although it might not happen until someone is hurt during camp.
1. Shaquille Leonard, LB
After the Indianapolis Colts released Shaq Leonard during the 2023 season, two teams were trying to lure him to their franchise. The Eagles were in a race with the Dallas Cowboys and each needed a shot in the arm at linebacker.
Dallas owner Jerry Jones reportedly pulled out all the stops but it wasn’t enough. Leonard chose the Eagles due in part to his familiarity with Nick Sirianni from their Indy days.
It didn’t take long to see Philly didn’t really “win” a sweepstake as they thought. Leonard, who was once one of the premier defenders in the entire NFL looked slow and was unable to make the plays he once did. In five games he had 23 tackles and one sack but never truly made an impact.
Leonard has had two back surgeries during his career and while he has tried to prove he’s healthy, he’s simply not the player he was when he had 163 tackles and seven sacks as a rookie.
Not only are the Eagles showing no interest in bringing him back but it wouldn’t be a surprise if no other teams offered him a deal either. It’s a sad reality in the NFL but players often give it their all but then can’t find a place to play when the injuries mount.
