With their lackluster pass rush unit and cornerback group in flux, the Philadelphia Eagles will be busy over the next few weeks trying to fix those issues. Most fans want the Eagles to make a trade, but those just don’t happen overnight. It takes time for a deal to come together.
Therefore, the next best option for Philadelphia is to sign someone to its practice squad, but to do that, it needs to make space. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported on Tuesday that the Eagles are releasing former Denver Broncos running back Audric Estime from their taxi squad.
Given the team’s current depth at running back on the 53-man roster, there’s no need to keep Estime while they try to find another pass rusher or cornerback.
Eagles Send Audric Estime Packing Due to Prevalent Roster Needs
Philadelphia fans were excited to see the team sign Estime to the practice squad at the end of the preseason in August. Estime showed promise in his rookie season with the Broncos in 2024 (310 yards and 2 TDs on 76 carries), but due to the other options in Denver, he was the odd man out.
That said, it was unlikely Estime would’ve gotten called up to the 53-man roster, as the Eagles already had AJ Dillon and Will Shipley backing up Saquon Barkley. Then, when you add in the trade of Tank Bigsby, Estime’s path to the 53-man roster got that much harder.
Nonetheless, the Eagles will hopefully use Estime’s spot on the taxi squad to bring in another edge rusher, as their depth is nonexistent at this moment.
A couple of weeks ago, the team lost Nolan Smith and Ogbo Okoronkwo to injuries. Then, on Monday, veteran defender Za’Darius Smith announced his retirement, leaving the Eagles in a precarious spot. The only healthy pass rushers the Eagles have on the 53-man roster are Josh Uche, Azeez Ojulari, Patrick Johnson, and Jalyx Hunt.
Luckily, for the Eagles, there are still some options available, such as DeMarcus Walker, Carl Lawson, Shaq Barrett, and Drake Jackson. None of these guys will come in and instantly start, but they could be solid rotation pieces, which is what the Eagles need.
That said, it will be interesting to see what the Eagles ultimately do in the coming weeks. They now have an open spot on the practice squad and on the 53-man roster to make some moves. The pressure is on Howie Roseman to make something happen after his recent moves haven’t panned out.