The Philadelphia Eagles successfully returned most of their preferred players to the practice squad, but four young players did not make it through waivers. The Athletic's Zach Berman asked Howie Roseman about losing offensive tackles Cameron Williams and Myles Hinton, tight end Cameron Latu and defensive back Kapena Gushiken.
“Certainly, those percentages didn’t apply to our roster over this weekend, unfortunately,” Roseman said, referencing an NFL waiver claim rate of approximately 4%. “Don’t feel good about losing those guys.”
Atlanta claimed Williams, while Cincinnati added Hinton. Both were draft picks whom Philadelphia hoped to continue developing. New England claimed Latu after he contributed 10 special teams tackles and a blocked punt
for the Eagles last season. Indianapolis claimed Gushiken, an undrafted defensive back who made a positive impression during the summer.
“We lost two draft picks,” Roseman said. “We lost a special teamer, a tight end who had 10 special teams tackles for us last year and a blocked kick. Don’t feel good about that. We lost a young defensive back that we liked.”
Roseman explained that roster construction requires educated risks. Keeping every developmental player is impossible, and using the practice squad is not as simple as releasing a veteran, assuming he will return. The Eagles retained rookie Markel Bell and veteran Fred Johnson as backup offensive tackles. John Ojukwu returned on the practice squad, while Philadelphia added former Chicago Bears third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie.
“I told Coach Clay I owed him one,” Roseman said, “so I’ll do my best to help him make up for it.”
Roseman still acknowledged that the waiver results created work, particularly for special teams coordinator Michael Clay.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: A frustrated Howie Roseman explained risks behind Eagles’ final cuts
