Training Camp is fast approaching and with each iteration comes a new group of underdogs vying to make the Eagles final roster. Some were undrafted, some have battled real adversity over the last few years, and others have just struggled to find a permanent home in the NFL. But every year, we find ourselves rooting for them. Here are five underdogs who have a real shot of finding a fairytale ending this offseason.
Boston Scott
The Louisiana Tech product was one of the Spring’s big standouts and as a result, Scott’s first full offseason with the Eagles is looking set to be an exciting one.
Mentioned in the same breath as Darren Sproles due to his size and skill set, the 5’6, 203 lbs running back averaged 4.8 yards per carry last preseason for the Saints, scoring a touchdown and amassing 121 yards on 25 carries, seeing time at both return spots as well.
Doug Pederson echoed that in May, comparing him to Sproles and often having him field punts during practice.
“We have a player [RB] Boston Scott, who’s been on our roster since the end of last season or halfway through.” Pederson said during OTA’s. “He’s a guy that can kind of fill a Darren Sproles. He’s in that same body type and same quickness. We’re working him in a couple of different situations as a runner, as a punt returner, and just kind of getting a feel for him because he wasn’t a guy we initially brought onto our team early.”
Scott has seen a significant amount of time as a punt returner throughout the spring and with a wide-open running back competition over those final two or three spots, having a 'niche' could well be the difference come late August. If Scott can provide a special teams spark, as he did against the Texans in week 14, then that will surely that will only bode well. If you partner that with his very unique skill-set that would almost mirror what the team is losing in Sproles, who is to say he won’t be the wildcard that sneaks onto the roster?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_JhVw1-jw0
Joe Ostman
It’s an important offseason for the former UDFA, and he knows it. Ostman, who was one of the Eagles most valuable scout-team assets last year, faces an uphill battle to climb onto the 53-man roster, but if he can do so, his ceiling will rise dramatically due to the lack of overall depth at the position. Emulating Khalil Mack and J.J Watt, along with many of the elite pass-rushers faced last season, Ostman has garnered strong praise from Roseman and Schwartz since arriving in Philadelphia as an undrafted free agent, and will now have to prove he's worthy of the hype.
This won't be our first glimpse of Ostman, however. The former Central Michigan pass-rusher had a great preseason for the Eagles last year after going undrafted, rallying to amass 9 tackles. At 6’3, 259 lbs, Ostman tallied 45.5 tackles for loss and 26 sacks during his collegiate career and his development on the practice squad has left the coaching staff purring. Will that be enough to secure him a spot on the final 53?
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Charles Johnson
This name will be familiar to many, and that's because he, unlike every other name on this list, has been around the league for quite some time and most recently turned heads in another league. Johnson was arguably the AAF’s most explosive receiver. Playing for the Orlando Apollos, the wideout led the league with 45 receptions and 687 receiving yards. His five touchdown receptions also ranked second in the AAF.
Johnson has a credible NFL resume, too. Before losing a training camp battle with the Jets in 2018 and landing in the AAF, the former seventh-round selection was most prominently known for his 2014 breakout in Minnesota, where he snagged two touchdown passes and 475 receiving yards. He stayed with the Vikings for three years, but the injury bug started to bite.
After bouncing to several other teams Johnson took a shot at the AAF whereas we now know, he stole the show. The 6’2, 216 lbs, receiver is now 30-years old, but is undoubtedly playing at a level high enough to compete as both Markus Wheaton and Reuben Randle had in previous years during the Eagles Summer.
What's really interesting to me is that the Eagles went through a flurry of working out 'big slot' receivers, as speculation surrounding the future of Nelson Agholor grew in the month of April. When going back and watching his AAF play, you could easily envision a crafty route-runner like Johnson lining up in the slot and really creating some worrying matchups for the defense. He may not come close to replacing Agholor, but as a depth receiver who can come on in a pinch, be a threat in the red zone and carry significant YAC potential on top of being a locker room leader, it makes sense.
Johnson has every chance of snatching a roster spot if he can keep up his momentum and turn those short bursts of explosiveness into consistent play.
Anthony Rush
Rush ended 2018 with 43 tackles, 11 TFL and a pair of sacks. Another small-school sleeper, Rush has a ridiculously intimidating frame at 6’5, 350 lbs, but needs to develop some pass-rushing moves if he is to make the jump. His size alone will command plenty of attention, but if the Eagles can condition some agility and endurance, they may have a real space-eating sleeper who can suck up double teams in lighter formations designed for defensive end speed.
The UAB product is the heaviest defensive tackle on the roster, and on a depth chart that drops massively after the top 3 guys, there is a chance for a surprise to be sprung. I could see Schwartz using Rush in the same way that the Chargers utilize Brandon Mebane. Someone to really almost will-on double teams while the electric defensive ends run rampant. If it gets late in a game and the Eagles need to clog lanes but their top guys need a drive to get their breath back, that's the kind of role Rush could thrive in. But still, he has to knock on the door as nobody is going to open it willingly.
Alex Singleton
Another former CFL standout attempting to crack the Eagles is Alex Singleton, who not only dominated during his time at Calgary, but set records.
Voted the CFL's most outstanding defensive player after setting a new league record in tackles (among others) in 2017, Singleton rapidly grew into a starter and was named an all-star in both of his CFL seasons as a Stampeder. The zippiness to his game is outstanding and as an off-ball linebacker, there are buckets of potential.
Singleton had a great rookie minicamp and benefitted greatly from the first-team exposure. If he can ride that wave deep into a training camp where prized UDFA's Joey Alfieri and T.J Edwards await, there is a chance he can spring the upset and maybe unseat them, pushing for a special teams role and climbing the rungs of the ladder in the same way that Kamu Grugier-Hill once did.
