Eagles sign Tyree Jackson to futures contract

The Philadelphia Eagles signed Tyree Jackson to a futures contract on Thursday afternoon, according to an official announcement from the team.

The Eagles previously worked out Jackson in early December. Here’s what we wrote at the time:

Jackson played quarterback at the University of Buffalo before signing with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted rookie free agent following the 2019 NFL Draft. The Bills waived him and didn’t bother keeping him around on their practice squad. Jackson resurfaced in the XFL earlier this year before the league shut down.

Jackson, who turned 23 years old in November, is now embracing trying out as a tight end. The 6’7”, 249 pound athlete sure does boast an intriguing combination of size and athleticism.

One can wonder if Jackson may have been inspired by the conversion made by Washington Football Team tight end Logan Thomas. After failing to stick as a quarterback in the NFL, Thomas switched to tight end in 2016. He worked hard at making the transition and now he’s reaping the rewards of his effort. Thomas ranks 15th in tight end receiving yards this year with 426 on 43 catches. He’s also logged five touchdowns.

The Eagles could afford to bring a developmental tight end into the fold with Zach Ertz potentially getting traded after this season and Richard Rodgers set to be a free agent. Maybe Jackson can eventually grow into becoming a No. 2 option behind Dallas Goedert.

It’ll be interesting to monitor Jackson’s progress in offseason practices this year. The same can be said about fellow tight end convert Hakeem Butler, who previously played wide receiver. Maybe one of these two projects will end up panning out.

Jackson is the 10th player to sign a futures contract with the Eagles this week. They’ve still yet to sign 2020 sixth-round pick Prince Tega Wanogho.