Eagles Trade for a Cornerback, Sign a Tryout Player from Last Weekend
PHILADELPHIA – The Eagles made a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars for a cornerback on Tuesday.
No, it did not involve tight end Zach Ertz, even though the Jags are desperate enough at that position to take a look at Tim Tebow this summer.
No, this deal was much lower key, with the Eagles sending cornerback Jameson Houston and a sixth-round draft pick in 2023 for second-year CB Josiah Scott. The Eagles also signed offensive tackle Casey Tucker, who was in town last weekend on a tryout period during rookie camp.
Scott was expendable after Jacksonville brought in free agent Shaquill Griffin, drafted D.J. Daniels, and re-signed Sidney Jones.
Picked in the fourth round of last year’s draft out of Michigan State, the 137th player taken overall, Scott is 5-9, 185, so the slot may be where he will be tried first.
By comparison, the Eagles took CB Zech McPhearson in the fourth round of this year’s draft, the 123rd overall player taken. Also, last Friday, they signed free agent CB Nate Meadors.
Last year, Scott made it into six games, playing just 80 snaps. He did not play on special teams.
Scott, just 22, was targeted seven times when he came into a game, surrendering six completions for 77 yards.
As a freshman, he was named to ESPN’s Freshman All-American team after he started 12 of 13 games for the Spartans.
A torn meniscus sidelined him for the first eight games of his sophomore season. He started all 13 games as a junior and, on Oct. 5 that year, he forced Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields into his first interception of the season and made 12 tackles against the Buckeyes.
Scott had three interceptions in 2019 and six in his college career.
His three older brothers - Isaiah, Joshua, and Elijah - each played at Division III powerhouse Mount Union, which is the alma mater of Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni.
Houston played three games for the Eagles last year, totaling 22 snaps.
Tucker is 6-6, 315 pounds, and is 25, though well-traveled.
The Arizona State product was signed to the Eagles’ practice squad in December after failing to make the team out of training camp last summer. He signed a futures contract with the Colts on Jan. 11 but was released at the end of April.
Tucker began his career on the practice squad of the Detroit Lions before being released after just a couple of months.
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Eagle Maven and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
