Two Undrafted Rookies Free Agents Expected to See First NFL Action

Fletcher Cox doing his best to get DTs Albert Huggins and Anthony Rush ready to play, as Hassan Ridgeway lands on Injured Reserve

There’s a new seating chart inside the Eagles’ defensive line film room, with Fletcher Cox now sitting between Albert Huggins and Anthony Rush.

“I’m just doing whatever I can to help those guys get ready for Sunday,” sad Cox on Wednesday. “Right now, it’s a real important time for those guys to lean on me and I’ll do a good job with that.”

Huggins and Rush joined the Eagles on Monday evening, both coming from another team’s practice squad. Huggins came from the Texans; Rush from the Raiders. 

They will make their NFL debuts in Buffalo against the 5-1 Bills because, well, that’s all the Eagles have left. 

Hassan Ridgeway was placed on Injured Reserve on Wednesday with an ankle injury, joining Malik Jackson, who landed there after his Eagles debut on Sept. 8, with an ankle injury. 

Timmy Jernigan avoided IR after he went out with a foot injury in Week 2, and, while he may be close to returning, it looks like he will miss his sixth straight game on Sunday.

Ridgeway’s first season with the Eagles ends with 10 tackles, including six for loss, which was the second most on the team behind Brandon Graham’s seven.

Both Huggins and Rush were late coming into the locker room on Wednesday because defensive line coach Phillip Daniels kept them on the field for more training.

“It’s a challenge for us, but I think the biggest thing for us as a defense is we’ll keep things simple and I think when we’re simple we play our best ball, so I think we’ll keep some things simple for those guys,” said Cox.

Rush signed as an undrafted free agent with the Eagles after he went undrafted this past spring out of the University of Alabama Birmingham, but he didn’t last long.

Injures struck Eagles cornerbacks early in training camp and, on the first day the team put on pads, which was July 27, Rush was released. He was quickly picked up by the Raiders and had a strong preseason; not good enough, though, to make the 53-man roster in Oakland.

He said he was surprised he didn’t make the team and was added to the practice squad the next day.

“I was (surprised) but that’s not up for me to decide,” said Rush. “At the end of the day I’m just here to play football and do what I could do. I did a good job there. If anybody asks questions to the Raiders they can say I did my job and did a good job at it.”

Having been with the Eagles, Rush may be better equipped to handle a bigger role than Huggins on Sunday. He said he knows the playbook, but with the defensive line, Rush said, “It’s always about the get-off (at the snap of the ball). I think you can get-off a little bit faster here, it’s more vertical. I like that. I like Oakland too, (so) I’m not throwing shade. It’s all good.”

Huggins has played in big games while at Clemson and won a national title his final year there, recording five tackles in the national championship game against Alabama. He was rated among the top 20 defensive tackles in the draft by ESPN, but he still went undrafted this past spring.

“I’m excited for this opportunity because now Momma (Eularia Huggins) gets to see me on TV on Sundays," said Huggins. "Momma get to say that’s my baby, even though she was saying that from the beginning on Saturdays, now she gets to say it on Sundays, that’s my baby on TV. I know my mom is proud of me, now I want to see her more proud.”