Eagles Claim RB Jason Huntley, Release CB Cre'Von LeBlanc

Once again, the Eagles have been blinded by speed.

Their offseason quest to get faster continued on Sunday when they claimed running back Jason Huntley, a fifth-round draft pick of the Detroit Lions this past spring out of New Mexico State who was released by Detroit on Saturday.

Huntley, who is 5-9, 195 pounds, ran a 4.37 in the 40-yard dash, but not at the NFL Scouting Combine. He is considered a dual-threat, finishing with 2,197 yards and 18 rushing in four seasons with New Mexico State and 1,119 yards receiving and another seven touchdowns.

Huntley also has a strong kickoff return history, averaging 25.8 yards on 59 career returns, with five touchdowns, three of which came in his junior season.

To make room on the 53-man roster for Huntley,j the Eagles waived cornerback Cre'Von LeBlanc.

LeBlanc returned from an injury last year and played in four games. He had originally been claimed off waivers from the Detroit Lions on Nov. 15, 2018.

The expectation is that LeBlanc won't be gone for long. The Eagles can bring him back as soon as Monday because he is a vested veteran and does not have to go through waivers. Technically, LeBlanc is a free agent, but he isn't expected to anywhere but back to the Eagles, with perhaps a bit more money as a sweetener.

Philadelphia will be able to put players on short-term Injured Reserve Sunday evening, which is expected to happen with Alshon Jeffery and maybe Will Parks. That would open up a roster spot for LeBlanc to slide right back into.

Cutting LeBlanc leaves the Eagles with just four cornerbacks on the roster, though Jalen Mills offers position flexibility should he be needed to move from safety.

As for Huntley, he will join Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, Corey Clement as the running backs on the Eagles’ roster, with the expectation that RBs Elijah Holyfield, Adrian Killins, and perhaps Michael Warren will join the practice squad.

GM Howie Roseman talked on Saturday about the challenges of finding waiver wire help without the benefit of preseason-game tape after all four summer exhibitions were canceled due to the global pandemic.

“It's dramatically different,” said Roseman. “It's been a dramatically different training camp. For us, there's so much preseason tape to watch and to not have that has given us extra time to really dive into our team and to dive into our team like we're bystanders, as opposed to guys who are just right next to it. I think that's really helped us because we have to evaluate our own team first and foremost.

“At the same time, it's also a little bit of a game of chicken, because some of these guys that are cut, and we don't know them as well as we would maybe by having some exposure to them It will be interesting to see what happens with claims, as opposed to in years past and what people are doing because it's not like you can claim a guy and get him on a plane and he's in your building on Monday.”

The reason it could take a few extra days for Huntley to join the team is due to strict regulations in place for COVID-19 testing.

In other waiver news, cornerbacks Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas waived on Saturday, had two different results on Sunday, with Jones going unclaimed and Douglas being picked up by the Carolina Panthers.

Roseman had expressed the possibility of bringing Douglas back to the practice squad had he cleared waivers.

“I don't know that it's necessarily speed-driven that Rasul is not on the 53,” said Roseman. “I think it was a hard decision for us. I told him that when I met with him because there are things that he does well. But I think that you know, we kind of changed the complexion a little bit of that corner group. And again, he's another guy that we wouldn't rule out bringing back if the opportunity arose.”

Also, tight end Noah Togaia, a player the Eagles had hoped to add to the practice squad, was claimed by the Indianapolis Colts.

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