Nick Sirianni's Call Helped Convince Veteran Receiver To Return to Practice Squad

The receiver was released at the end of camp and thought about not returning when a practice squad was offered. Then the Eagles coach called, and he could have a big role versus the Bucs.

Eagles WR Parris Campbell / John McMullen/Eagles on SI

PHILADELPHIA – Parris Campbell admits his pride was stung and it hurt. A lot. So much so that after the Eagles cut him but immediately told him they wanted him to join their practice squad, he said, no.

“My pride was in the way for sure,” he said during a locker room availability earlier in the week. “I was just in a bad spot, man, to be honest. I had never seen myself as being in this league and then getting cut, getting released.

“I never saw that for myself. It was just a prideful thing: the amount of work you put into this, the time and effort and sacrifices. All of that just to let go …  I was kind of overwhelmed mentally.”

After telling his agent to tell the Eagles no on the practice squad availability, he began to think about what might be next. He flew home, talked to his wife, and prayed. He then told himself that a door would open if he was meant to be in Philly.

Ten minutes later Nick Sirianni called him.

The Eagles coach practices what he preaches, and he preaches relationships. Or in his lingo – connecting. It’s one of his five core values.

He had a previous relationship with Campbell when he was the receiver’s offensive coordinator when the two were with the Indianapolis Colts.

Nick Sirianni / Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

Rarely does Sirianni reveal his conversations with players, but on Friday morning, he told reporters a little of what he said to Campbell in that phone conversation.

“I said to him, ‘We’re gonna need you, man, we’re gonna need you make some plays. We’re gonna need you for this journey we’re going on, and we got faith in you. It’s just the way the numbers kind of worked out,’” Sirianni revealed. “And I’m sure glad he changed his mind.”

There’s a good chance the Eagles will be without receiver A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith when they play the Buccaneers in Tampa on Sunday (1 p.m.FOX)., though Brown was spotted at practice on Friday afternoon. Still, without Smith, Campbell could be in line for his third practice squad elevation.

Last week in New Orleans, when the Eagles were without Brown and watched Smith get knocked from the game on an unnecessary hit from behind by Khristian Boyd, who was fined $4,600 for it, Campbell stepped in for 36 snaps and made two catches for 13 yards.

“His professionalism when he comes into work, his will to learn, how invested he is, you can see it clearly,” said quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Campbell should be more of a factor in Florida than he was even last week – again, provided Smith or Brown cannot play. That’s the good news.

The bad news is that Campbell is out of practice squad elevations. The league allows just three for one player and this will be his third. If the Eagles want to keep him around, they will have to add him to the 53-man roster, which would entail cutting somebody currently on it.

As Campbell found out, however, you just never know what will happen in this league.

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