Deon Cain gets another NFL shot
Deon Cain is turning an incredible USFL Championship Game performance into receiving another shot at the NFL. Playing for the Birmingham Stallions over the last few months, Cain's regular season stats were middling with a few impressive moments here and there. However, he shined in the biggest moment the USFL has to offer.
In the USFL Championship Game, Cain caught 4 passes, 3 of which resulted in touchdowns for a total of 70 yards. He also added 101 return yards as well, which able highlights his potential versatility to any team watching. The performance catapulted the Stallions to a 28-12 victory over the Pittsburgh Maulers.
(USFL Newsroom)
When talking to NBC Sports Philadelphia about his most recent opportunity with a team he nearly made the roster on last year Cain spoke gratefully about the USFL and his chance there, "Just getting the opportunity was big for me. A lot of players, practice squad guys, rookie guys who didn’t get drafted, and stuff like that, if you didn’t make it to a team after the draft, give the USFL a chance, because they give guys opportunities who might not have gotten that opportunity in the NFL. Play football, get your confidence back, just go out there and play. And it’s an eye in the sky and every time you play – I don’t care where it is – somebody’s watching. I got the opportunity and made the most of it and now I have another chance here.”
The 26-year-old played for Clemson from 2015-2017 and posted some impressive numbers in limited starts compiling 130 receptions for 2,040 yards and 20 touchdowns in 1,419 snaps over 42 games (14 starts) according to the official Clemson website.
Some believe Cain may get a real shot to make this roster but any time you're coming in during camp in this manner it's going to be a tough road. The good news is that Howie Roseman, the Eagles GM, sees the positives that Deon can bring, "He continued to grow with his opportunity. He had an opportunity to be featured a little bit more than he had been in the NFL. When Coach (Sirianni] came from Indianapolis, he had told us about his work ethic and who the guy was, and when we had an opportunity to bring him here, we saw that last year. He had a good preseason, and he kind of built upon that preseason and put himself in an opportunity to come here and continue to get better. Looking forward to seeing him.”
