Eagles Cut Orlando Scandrick, Akeem Spence after Blowout Loss

Team also added a pair of defensive tackles from other teams' practice squads, but who steps in at slot cornerback now is the big question

USA Today

A week after sending starting linebacker Zach Brown packing, the Eagles have cut two more defensive players, with slot cornerback Orlando Scandrick and defensive tackle Akeem Spence released Monday evening.

The Eagles also signed defensive tackle Anthony Rush from the practice squad of the Oakland Raiders and Albert Huggins from the practice squad of the Houston Texans.

Rush, who went to the University of Alabama Birmingham, had been with the Eagles this past summer, but was released in late July.

Huggins went to Clemson and was ranked as one of the top 20 defenisve tackles in this last draft by ESPN, but still went undrafted.

The signing of two defensive tackles may not bode well for the status of Hassan Ridgeway, who head coach Doug Pederson said was being further evaluated on Monday for an ankle injury suffered during the Eagles’ 37-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.

Spence was signed by the Eagles prior to Week 2. He played well against the Detroit Lions in Week 3, credited with four tackles, but was relatively ineffective in his other games despite playing more than 40 percent of the defensive snaps in six games with the team.

Scandrick, 32, was signed prior to Week 5’s game against the New York Jets when Avonte Maddox had to be removed from the Lambeau Field turf in Green Bay on a stretcher in the final minute of the Eagles’ win that night.

The veteran had a memorable debut, making two sacks, forcing a pair of fumbles, and returning one of them 44 yards for a touchdown in a 31-6 win over the Jets.

Scandrick played 36 snaps against the Cowboys on Sunday night and made three tackles, but was unable to bring down Dallas’ Tavon Austin in the open field that led to a 20-yard touchdown run by Austin that started the Cowboys’ rout. Scandrick had spent the first 10 years of his career with the Cowboys and had been with the Eagles during training camp before getting released prior to the start of the season.

Exactly who will step in at slot corner now is an open question.

Pederson said on Monday that Maddox is still in concussion protocol. The second-year cornerback also suffered a neck injury on the play in Green Bay when teammate Andrew Sendejo plowed full seed into Maddox.

Former second-round draft pick Sidney Jones has struggled this season and was seemingly benched in Dallas. He didn’t play any snaps at all, though even Craig James got four snaps.

Jones, who injured a hamstring against the Packers and missed one game, is fully healthy, according to Pederson.

“We had Jalen Mills back this week, so it was great to see him out there,” said Pederson. “Rasul (Douglas) on the other side. That was the game plan going in.”

Unless the Eagles make another move to sign or trade for a cornerback, Jones will likely get the starting nod at slot cornerback when the Eagles finish off their three-game road trip when they visit Buffalo to play the 5-1 Bills on Sunday.