After appearing in four games for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016, legend Paul Turner has joined ex-teammate Jordan Matthews and the New England Patriots.
There’s an old saying that ‘If you can’t beat um, join um’ and after failing to make a last-second comeback in Super Bowl 53, it appears as though the New England Patriots have taken those words to heart.
That’s right, after snatching away former Philly stalwart Jordan Matthews from the Buffalo Bills at the start of the 2018 NFL league year, the team has double-dipped from the Philadelphia Eagles well and signed ex-workout warrior Paul Turner to compete for a spot on the team moving forward.
And if there’s one thing Turner knows how to it, it competes.
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An undrafted free agent from Louisiana Tech who initially began his college career at LSU alongside future NFL stars like Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham Jr., and current teammate Jeremy Hill beforee his mothers and grandmother’s declining health forced him to transfer to a college closer to home, Turner put on a show for the fans during the Eagles’ 2016 preseason schedule, with some seriously rooting for the diminutive slot receiver to make the team’s 53 man roster.
Spoiler alert, he did, just not right away.
After spending part of the season on the practice squad, then-head coach Chip Kelly elevated Turner to the 53 man roster, where he appeared in four games (two starts) and hauled in nine balls for 126 yards.
But when the Doug Pederson-era took hold of the team, Turner quickly found himself the odd man out.
After being waived with an injury settlement, Turner remained unsigned for the entire 2017 NFL season, before eventually signing a futures/reserve contract with the New Orleans Saints back in January, a pairing that lasted barely six months.
A free agent once more, Turner may have finally found a new home in the league, and it just so happens to be alongside a familiar face.
That’s right, going into training camp Turner will team up once more with Jordan Matthews as the duo competes for a spot on the Patriots 53 man roster, and for both players, this could be a great opportunity to rehab their NFL careers and finally find a home for the next couple seasons.
For Matthews, who wasn’t healthy for much of his lone season with the Bills, this is a chance to prove that he’s not only the player who caught 225 passes over his first three years in the league but also a player capable of not only lining up in the slot but on the outside as well. With the size, 6-foot-3, 215 pounds and 4.5 speed to be an effective big bodied outside receiver, an opportunity to catch passes form the greatest quarterback in the history of the game could be just what the doctor ordered.
And as for Turner, he too could find a place with the team.
At this point it’s basically common knowledge that Bill Belichick is one of the best evaluators of talent in the game, as he routinely finds starting caliber players as undrafted free agents, and with Julian Edelman set to start off the season on suspension, Danny Amendola now a member of the Miami Dolphins, and Malcolm Mitchell reportedly on the trade block, Turner could potentially work his way onto the 53 man roster with a strong showing this summer, and maybe even haul in some passes of his own during the season.
While I doubt the Philadelphia Eagles will miss either player going into the 2018 season, as Pederson and Howie Roseman waived one, and traded the other, it’s nice to see that two former fan favorites are still fighting to make their NFL dreams a reality in a league where a second contract is far from guaranteed.