The Philadelphia Eagles finished up Day 2 of their mandatory minicamp on Wednesday and the team announced a slew of roster moves shortly afterward. The team signed edge rusher A.J. Epenesa and offensive guard Michael Jordan. They also waived linebackers Chandler Martin and Isiah King in addition to releasing edge rusher Za’Darius Smith from the reserve/retired list, allowing him to play elsewhere if he returns to the NFL.
A.J. Epenesa
Epenesa, a 2020 second-round pick (No. 54 overall — one spot after Jalen Hurts)
by the Buffalo Bills, was supposed to sign with the Cleveland Browns earlier in the offseason, but ultimately didn’t pass his physical. The reason for the failed physical wasn’t disclosed, but the 27-year-old suffered several injuries last season, including a concussion, a pectoral injury, a foot injury, and a neck issue. After his deal with Cleveland fell through, Epenesa met with the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears before ultimately landing in Philly.
Despite his many ailments, Epenesa still played in 16 games in 2025, and through six seasons with Buffalo, only missed a handful of games. He recorded 135 total tackles, 53 QB hits, 24 sacks, five forced fumbles, and four interceptions. The edge rusher also has a good amount of special teams experience, and contributed in that phase of the game throughout his career.
Michael Jordan
The Ohio State Buckeye has a lot of NFL experience as he joins one of the league’s premier group of lineman. Jordan is heading into his eighth year in the league, but only saw playing time in six of his seven seasons — he spent the 2023 season on the Packers practice squad. The left guard has also spent time with the Bengals, Panthers, Patriots and Buccaneers, before landing in Philly this spring.
Jordan is a big guy at 6-foot-6, 312 pounds, and with the right development, could be a really important depth piece for the Eagles. Landon Dickerson reportedly considered retirement this offseason due to his long list of injuries, so having someone able to step into that role if Dickerson goes down is critical.
[BLG Note: Not to be confused with the NBA’s greatest player of all time with the same name.]
Za’Darius Smith
The Eagles releasing the retired Za’Darius Smith might indicate that the edge rusher is looking to extend his career elsewhere. His retirement was very surprising last fall during Week 5 of the season when he announced he was walking away from the game. The Eagles’ defense looked just fine without him.
Chandler Martin
The Eagles originally signed Martin in late March 31 before waiving him on June 1. They re-signed him on June 4 only to cut him again on June 10. Martin did not participate in media-attended spring practices; he was limited to doing some rehab work.
Isiah King
The Eagles originally hosted King on a tryout basis during rookie minicamp before signing the undrafted rookie free agent to their roster. It’s possible that King and/or Martin could potentially be back down the road. For now, they’re goners.
Howie Roseman will continue to make moves throughout the offseason, and up until the trade deadline, but the team is starting to fine tune what they have and what they need heading into training camp.
