Eagles Cut Davion Taylor, Say Good-Bye - For Now

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Davion Taylor appeared on his way to breaking out until injury struck, and now he has been released for Myles Jack and Zach Cunningham

PHILADELPHIA – There was a time two years ago when it looked like Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Davion Taylor had it all figured.

He was raw, a developmental project when drafted in the third round of 2020, probably over-drafted by general manager Howie Roseman as the 103rd overall pick that year, but he had worked his way into the starting lineup by Week 5 in his second season. A knee injury foiled any future development that season and Taylor was never able to find his footing again.

He was released on Sunday so the Eagles could make room on the roster after signing veteran linebackers Myles Jack and Zach Cunningham.

The reason for Taylor’s rawness was that he had not played any high school football because he was raised as Seventh Day Adventist and football Fridays were for worship. After graduating high school, he went to a community college, Coahama C.C. near his home in Magnolia, Miss.

From there it was on to the University of Colorado where he started for two seasons and captained the Buffaloes for one, combining for 129 tackles and two sacks in 24 games in Boulder, and then on to Philadelphia.

He was picked right after the Eagles had taken Jalen Hurts 50 picks earlier and 82 selections prior to them selecting Jalen Reagor.

Now, like Reagor, Taylor is gone, released on Sunday to make room for veteran linebackers Myles Jack and Zach Cunningham.

“Always hard when you have to say good-bye to players,” said coach Nick Sirianni on Sunday night, prior to the Eagles taking the field before 50,000-plus fans for the only open practice of summer at Lincoln Financial Field. 

“That's always a tough part of the job, because Davion has worked really hard to be in a position this year to be on the 90-man roster and fighting for a spot or a practice squad spot, and sometimes you have to … that's a hard part of the job.

“It's not one we take lightly. We try to communicate with them, but when you're building relationships and knowing guys for two years and knowing what an integral part that Davion was last year to our team - because it's not just the 53 men on the team that make the team, right? It's the practice squad guys, and Davion gave us great looks last year.”

Taylor spent last season on the practice squad, a victim of strong play from T.J. Edwards and the signing and equally solid play of Kyzir White, who had been signed to a one-year deal in the offseason. Taylor was also undone by the Eagles’ drafting of Nakobe Dean after Dean had slid into the third round.

In 2021, however, Taylor appeared to be on his way to becoming a valuable contributor.

He played 34 percent of the snaps in a Week 5 win over the Carolina Panthers. His snaps went up from there, maxing out at 71 percent in a Week 9 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. 

The following week he played the best game of his career in a 30-13 win at the Denver Broncos. In 69 percent of the snaps, he forced two fumbles, one of which was scooped up by Darius Slay and returned 83 yards for a touchdown. Taylor had seven tackles that day, six of which were solo.

The week after that, against the New Orleans Saints, he injured a knee and was placed on injured reserve. Alex Singleton took over the starting duties from there.

Taylor’s small sample size that season went like this: six starts, nine games played, 39 tackles, and two forced fumbles.

Sirianni didn’t fully close the door on Taylor's return, though it feels like a long shot at this point. The coach said that receiver Deon Cain is back this summer after he was released at the end of camp last year and moving on to the USFL, where he won the MVP of the championship game this past spring as a member of the Birmingham Stallions.

“You never know,” said Sirianni. “You never close the door on anything. We know his body of work, the type of person he is, so we'll see how everything plays out.”

Ed Kracz covers the Philadelphia Eagles for SI's EaglesToday.

Please follow him and our Eagles coverage on Twitter at @kracze.

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