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At a time where the Eagles are expected to cut veterans in order to make room for undrafted free agent signings, Philadelphia has added a new non-UDFA to their roster.
The Eagles claimed former Redskins linebacker Steven Daniels off waivers, according to Aaron Wilson. Washington released Daniels on Tuesday.
Daniels was selected by Washington in the 2016 NFL Draft after playing four years at Boston College. Daniels finished his BC career with 266 tackles (29 for loss), 10.5 sacks, three interceptions, and one forced fumble.
The 24-year-old Daniels measures in at 5-11, 243 pounds. He missed his entire rookie season in 2016 after tearing his labrum in training camp.
The Eagles showed pre-draft interest in Daniels last offseason. The team brought him in for a pre-draft visit and put him through a private workout. Pro Football Focus listed Daniels as one of most underrated prospects in the 2016 draft class.
Despite being the anchor of a stout defense at Boston College, Daniels is one of the most underrated prospects in the 2016 NFL Draft. He was not only the best linebacker in the ACC, but he also received the highest grade among all college linebackers, which is largely due to his work in defending the run. His run stop percentage of 15.3% led all Power-5 inside linebackers and 50 of his 56 tackles in the running game were stops, which is a very impressive number. Although, he improved in pass coverage in the 2015 season and allowed only one touchdown in coverage; it is still to be seen whether he can be a three-down linebacker in the NFL, which will probably impact his draft position.
The addition of Daniels gives the Eagles more depth at linebacker. He’ll have a chance to compete for a roster spot this summer if he can stay healthy.