Philadelphia Eagles: Noah Togiai is finally back in midnight green

Noah Togiai was one of the feel-good stories of the Philadelphia Eagles‘ preseason in 2020.

A UDFA tight end out of Oregon State, Togiai went from an overlooked college performer who hauled in 102 catches for 1,048 yards over 34 games of action with the Beavers to a member of the Eagles’ initial 53 man roster, all due to the strength of a quality cap and a few nice catches in the preseason.

With Zach Ertz engulfed in heated contract conversations and Richard Rodgers then a member of Washington’s nameless football team, Togiai looked like the sort of under the radar addition who could pay massive dividends down the line, even if he ultimately played third banana to the team’s current crop of veteran tight ends.

Did Togiai have what it takes to become the next Trey Burton? Eagles fans the world over wanted nothing more than to find out.

… Welp, unfortunately, that opportunity was never afforded, as Togiai was released shortly thereafter to make way for waiver wire claim Jason Huntley, a speedy running back who only appeared in five games for the Birds in 2020 and logged 19 yards from scrimmage on six total touches.

And as for Togiai? Well, he too was claimed off of waivers, and spent the entire season stowed away on the Indianapolis Colts’ active roster, where he appeared in four games, logged 72 offensive snaps, and recorded a drop on his lone target of the season.

But now, there’s a chance, however small, to turn things around. After releasing Nick Eubanks and 2020’s leading receiver, Travis Fulgham, the Philadelphia Eagles have added Noah Togiai to their practice squad, where he’ll be a play away from making it to the field and proving he’s a better third-stringer than 2021’s UDFA tight end Jack Stoll.

Noah Togiai may finally earn a regular season snap for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Through the first five games of the 2021 NFL season, the Philadelphia Eagles have passed the ball a lot.

As things presently stand, with Monday Night Football not yet on the books, the team ranks 12th league-wide in passing attempts at 183, 46 fewer than their Week 6 foes, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They rank 11th in passing yards, 14th in completions, and sit tied for 18th with the New York Giants and Detroit Lions in total passing touchdowns at seven.

And yet, through the first five games of the season, the Philadelphia Eagles haven’t passed the ball a ton to their tight ends, despite the position group being one of the team’s strengths.

While the sample size isn’t particularly expansive, Jalen Hurts only throws balls to tight ends roughly 24 percent of the time, with Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert accounting for 44 of the team’s 183 total targets.

That’s… not great.

Now granted, is some of that on Nick Sirianni? Most definitely. Tight ends are seldom targeted in his favorite play, the RPO, and outside of third/fourth down, the position is rarely the primary option on the Eagles passing plays, but Hurts too appears more confident targeting DeVonta Smith and Jalen Reagor than either Ertz or Goedert, who somehow ranks sixth on the team in total targets.

Between you and me, Goedert should be leading the team in targets, not being lapped by a rookie 39 to 19.

So, with all of that in mind, is there any chance Noah Togiai actually makes an impact for the Eagles this season?

Maybe.

Through the first five games of the season, Jack Stoll has logged 33 offensive snaps. Though he hasn’t been targeted by either Hurts or Greg Ward, who has a single passing attempt on the season, Stoll has been active for every game because of his willingness to play special teams, and that effort has allowed the former Cornhusker an opportunity to help the team in less than predictable ways.

In Week 2 specifically, Stoll recovered a fumble forced by Nick Bosa that very well could have kept the team in the game, even if they ultimately punted the ball two plays later and were unable to eke out a win versus the 49ers.

While Togiai isn’t as prolific a special teamer as Stoll despite having an additional season under his belt, he’s a better receiver with 39 more offensive snaps under his belt in an offense coordinated by Nick Sirianni. If disaster strikes or the team simply wants to try something different at the bottom of their depth chart, Togiai presents a different look that could prove beneficial in two-minute situations where players have to wear multiple hats on the same drive.

For an offense reportedly designed to get the most out of its players, the Eagles are relying far too much on getting the ball to the same players in the same way week-in and week-out.

Will some quibble with the Philadelphia Eagles’ decision to release Travis Fulgham from the practice squad to make way for Noah Togiai? Most definitely. Even if technically Togiai is here to replace Nick Eubanks, the idea of moving on from the team’s top receiver from 2020 for a tight end without an offensive stat will generate more than a few hot takes. But honestly, with experience playing for the Eagles and Nick Sirianni in 2020, a reunion with Togiai just makes sense, even if he ultimately fails to make an impact.