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The Philadelphia Eagles signed 16 undrafted rookie free agents following the conclusion of the 2016 NFL Draft. It's typically an uphill battle for these players to make the final roster. While that's still probably going to be the case for the rookies signed by the Eagles, they might have a slightly better chance than usual. The Eagles did not have a second or fourth round pick during the draft so they were intentionally more aggressive with their UDFA signings. In fact, they gave one of their signings, offensive guard Darrell Greene, the biggest guarantee ($105,000) of any UDFA in the NFL. Read below for some more interesting notes the Eagles' UDFA signings.
Prospect rankings
| Position | Player | School | Overall Rank | Position Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OG | Darrell Greene | San Diego State | 211 | 13 |
| DT | Connor Wujciak | Boston College | 239 | 23 |
| DT | Aziz Shittu | Stanford | 315 | 29 |
| LB | Myke Tavarres | Incarnate Word | 345 | 28 |
| WR | Cayleb Jones | Arizona | 393 | 47 |
| WR | Hunter Sharp | Utah State | 427 | 51 |
| RB | Byron Marshall | Oregon | 460 | 55 |
| DT | Destiny Vaeao | Washington State | 470 | 40 |
| WR | Marcus Johnson | Texas | 477 | 57 |
| C | Bruce Johnson | Maine | 700 | 25 |
| LS | John DePalma | West Virginia | 728 | 6 |
| WR | Paul Turner | Louisiana Tech | 740 | 99 |
| TE | Dillon Gordon | LSU | 792 | 36 |
| LB | Quentin Gause | Rutgers | 793 | 63 |
| CB | C.J. Smith | North Dakota State | 883 | 86 |
| RB | Cedric O'Neal | Valdosta State | N/A | N/A |
These rankings were provided by CBS Sports.
Last year the Eagles' top UDFA, Devante Davis, was ranked at No. 331. This year the Eagles have three players higher than that. It's not necessarily very meaningful, though. Last year Denzel Rice was rated No. 880, last out of all the Eagles' signings, and he made the final roster after having a great summer. Travis Raciti (No. 389), Brett Boyko No. 415), and Malcolm Bunche (No. 528) all made Philadelphia's practice squad last season.
This year, Greene being the 13th best guard is notable. It also explains why he received over $100K in guarantees.
Guaranteed money
Each NFL team is allowed to offer a limited amount of signing bonus money to their UDFAs. It's up to the teams how they split that money. This bonus money obviously shows extra interest. The bonus doesn't always guarantee these players will make the final roster or the practice squad, because it's a relatively small amount, but it's a sign that the team likes the player more than just a camp body. Here are the players who received extra money this year.
OG Darrell Greene - $105,000 ($100K base and $5K signing bonus)
LB Myke Tavarres - $95,000 ($90K base and $5K signing bonus)
LS John DePalma - $25,500 ($15K base and $10.5K signing bonus)
RB Byron Marshall - $20,000 ($12.5K base and $7.5K signing bonus)
WR Cayleb Jones - $20,000 ($10K base and $10K signing bonus)
LB Quentin Gause - $10,000 ($5K base and $5K signing bonus)
It looks like Greene and Tavarres have a shot to make the roster or at least the practice squad. The Eagles need depth at guard and linebacker.
DePalma's guaranteed money is "unprecedented" for a UDFA long snapper. It seems like there might be a legitimate training camp battle between him and Jon Dorenbos, who turns 36 in July.
UDFA scouting reports
(Click here to learn more about the UDFAs.)
UDFA highlights
Here are some interesting nuggets on the Eagles' UDFAs.
Philadelphia Eagles UDFA Darrell Greene had the second best pass blocking efficiency (99.4) among guards in this class
— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) May 1, 2016
Eagles UDFA Edge Myke Tavarres recorded 5 defensive stops and a +2.8 run defense grade against UTEP, the only FBS opponent he faced in 2015
— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) May 1, 2016
Eagles UDFA Connor Wujciak earned a +8.7 pass rush grade against Power-5 opposition, 19th-best in this interior defender class
— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) May 1, 2016
Philadelphia Eagles UDFA Aziz Shittu had a 10.9 run stop percentage against Power-5 opposition, 6th-best in this interior defender class
— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) May 1, 2016
Eagles UDFA WR Cayleb Jones forced 23 missed tackles over the past two seasons
— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) May 1, 2016
Eagles UDFA Hunter Sharp earned a +10.3 overall grade in 2015, 2nd-highest among MWC WRs in this class
— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) May 1, 2016
Injury held Eagles UDFA Dillon Gordon to 44 snaps in 2015, but his 2014 +6.8 run block grade was 2nd-best among SEC TEs in this draft class
— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) May 1, 2016
#Eagles got the top SPARQ DT in Connor Wujciak from Boston College. Great fit for Jim Schwartz defense. Active, athletic 3-tech.
— Eric Galko (@OptimumScouting) April 30, 2016
I love the Aziz Shittu signing for the #Eagles.. Surprised he wasn't drafted. Did a lot of the dirty work in the trenches for Stanford
— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) May 5, 2016
Oregon RB Byron Marshall, UDFA signed by #Eagles https://t.co/gWJRs4kQ4t
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) May 5, 2016
Even when he was in community college, you could tell Eagles UDFA Myke Tavarres was a Jim Schwartz kind of guy. pic.twitter.com/1Ps7hGxWFP
— Josh Paunil (@JoshPaunil) May 3, 2016
(Cont.) Don't mess with Eagles UDFA Myke Tavarres. pic.twitter.com/irLPAK42EJ
— Josh Paunil (@JoshPaunil) May 3, 2016
And with that pick, Imma just gonna show you that one time Destiny Vaeao absolutely destroyed Joshua Garnett: https://t.co/y8jrTv1W0K
— Jeff Nusser (@NussCoug) April 29, 2016
VIDEO: Marcus Johnson has signed a free agent contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. Here are his highlights #HookEmhttps://t.co/nMMXHkvSIS
— Longhorn_FB (@Longhorn_FB) May 6, 2016
Take @lawlornfl's advice and watch Eagles UDFA Bruce Johnson against Boston College. pic.twitter.com/Hj7zdSMpvG
— Josh Paunil (@JoshPaunil) May 2, 2016
Philadelphia Eagles sign CJ Smith/CB/North Dakota State. Considered using a draft pick on him https://t.co/BEFmdNRR8e
— Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) May 1, 2016
Tryout players
The Eagles are set to host their rookie minicamp starting Friday, May 13. Philadelphia will announce a list of tryout players prior to the minicamp but for now here are some of the leaked names.
TE Kyle Washington (played QB in college)