I didn’t think it would go down like this… but as DE Brandon Graham was activated by the Eagles, injured DE Juqua Parker was NOT released. Instead, guard Kyle DeVan was waived.
Parker is down with an ankle injury. Parker said he’s had an MRI since the most recent recurrence, which could have taken place no earlier than the day before because he practiced on Thursday, and that the result was negative.
To make room for Graham on the 53-man roster, the Eagles released G Kyle DeVan.
“I’m excited,” Graham said Saturday in quotes provided by the team. “We are trying to make it to the championship and I want to be a part of it and contribute as much as I can.”
Graham began this season the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list after suffering a knee injury and undergoing microfracture surgery late last season.
INJURY UPDATE: Parker was the only player to miss practice as TE Brent Celek (hip), LB Akeeem Jordan (concussion) and RB LeSean McCoy (illness) returned after sitting out on Thursday.
Castillo reflects on defensive progress made with Asomugha:
Friday, defensive coordinator Juan Castillo explained how much more comfortable Asomugha is now than in the first month of the season, when he often looked lost. “What happened was I probably started too fast for him,” Castillo said. “When I think again going back, I think we talked about this earlier, is that I probably gave him too much, too early, without having a training camp. He wasn’t here for two-a-days.”
“And so then I scaled back. Nnamdi and I talked and I called him Monday night and I said, ‘Hey, I’m thinking about this and what about this vs. this group and can you handle it, is this good?’ He’ll text me back and say no problem and say stick this coverage in for me and stick this blitz in for me. Things like that.”
Asomugha made his presence felt more in stopping the running game as well against the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday. “Nnamdi wants to be a playmaker,” Castillo said. “He wants to be in position where he can take out their best guy. He can make plays so that the ball comes his way instead of being somewhere where there isn’t going to be any action. He wants to be in the action. I think you saw that last week, and he was on the tight end a couple of times, he was on the slot receiver, and he was on the corner and the outside receiver.”
“We had a couple of blitzes but they didn’t come about for him. I think he’s having fun and he’s starting to understand our system.”
South Philly Ben’s No Ballz Pix for Week 9….. by Ben Gold
“Picture-perfect day here in Orlando…we were 8-5 against the spread last week—respectable, but not quite the “Gold” standard…Well, here’s Week 9…then it’s off to the attic for wifey’s fall decorations…can’t wait…”
ATL over IND +7
NO over TB +8
CLE +11 over HOU
BUF over NYJETS +1.5
KC over MIAMI +4
SF over WAS +3.5 (don’t look now but youse still SUK!)
DAL over SEA + 11.5 (let’s hope I’m wrong on this one)
OAK over DEN +8
CIN +3 ovet TEN
ST.LOU +3 over ARI (yep, Cards are that bad!)
NE over NYG +8.5 (Eli’s due for his annual turnover fest)
SD +5.5 over GREEN BAY
PIT over BALT +3
EAGLES over BEARS +7.5 (That half-a-point is the elephant in the room. Chicago’s special teams will keep it close—but Eagles 28, Bears 20….GO Eagles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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