The cornerback formerly known as Will Peterson, who played well for the Giants but missed large parts of the last 2 years due to back problems is now an Eagle.
Will Peterson, who is now known as William James, signed a one year deal with the Birds today. He's 27 and was a 3rd round pick of the Giants in the 2001 draft. He's a taller corner at 6 feet tall & 200 pounds. When the Giants resigned him to a big deal before releasing him 2 years later, their GM Ernie Accorsi called him "a rising star cornerback"
So what is there not to like about signing a big corner who showed a ton of promise early in his career? He's missed 25 games in the past 2 years thanks to multiple back injuries. He hasn't played for any teams yet this season. The guy passed a physical, so I suppose it's safe to assume he's healthy now but it's not crazy to think another injury may not be too far away. Plus, you'd have to imagine that the rust factor after playing so little in the past 2 years has to be significant.
This is an odd signing for a number of reasons. Had it been made 4 or 5 weeks ago when the team was without Lito and Rod Hood, it would have been a welcome bit of depth. However, the secondary is healthier now than it has been all season. Even Joselio Hanson has played pretty solid. To make room on the roster for William James, Dexter Wynn was cut. Wynn primarily played special teams(when he wasn't deactivated) and was the 5th corner. Is James here to be the 5th corner? Does the team even need a 5th corner? Does he jump ahead of Hanson on the depth chart and if so why is Hanson still on the team?
Wynn was nothing special in the return game, but he brought more than Reno Mahe, who looks completely and utterly useless on special teams.
The one thought I did have was that this move could be an eye to the future with the thought that Rod Hood will leave as a free agent at the end of this year. In all likelihood Rod will get offered starter money in free agent market and the Eagles won't match. James could very well be having an 8 week audition for the Eagles' nickel corner spot next year. If he stays healthy, the Eagles are hoping to get lucky and get a starting quality corner at a bargain price.
Either way, Will James is an Eagle now and I wish him the best... Still, I'm not expecting all that much and I'm not totally sure how soon we'll even see him on the field.