The Philadelphia Eagles announced the re-signing of linebacker Brandon Hepburn on Monday afternoon. Hepburn was the only member of the 10-man Eagles practice squad that the team did not sign to a futures/reserves contract last week.
Must Reads
Hepburn originally joined the Eagles practice squad in early September following the promotion of Emmanuel Acho to the 53-man roster. He remained there until the team cut him to make room for Jake Knott. Knott then suffered an MCL injury and was waived/injured by the Eagles, which opened the door back up for Hepburn to return.
Hepburn was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the seventh round of the 2013 NFL Draft. The 25-year old linebacker played college football for Florida A&M and measures in at 6-4, 235 lbs. Hepburn was waived during Detroit's final cuts and spent the 2013 season on the Lions' practice squad. He also spent the 2014 offseason with Detroit.
As Sam Lynch points out, Hepburn is actually the only Eagles inside linebacker currently under contract for 2016. DeMeco Ryans' contract is up after 2015, and he could potentially be a cap casualty this offseason. Mychal Kendricks is eligible for a contract extension this offseason but his rookie deal is up after 2015. This says less about Hepburn, who will be a longshot to make the roster, and more about the uncertainty of the position.
The maximum capacity of the NFL offseason roster is set at 90. The Eagles now have 59 players under contract, not counting the 10 players scheduled to be free agents.