The Philadelphia Eagles gave their tight end depth chart a boost on Tuesday by trading for former Denver Broncos TE Albert Okwuegbunam.
A former fourth-round pick out of Missouri, Okwuegbunam has flashed his potential at times in the NFL.
Injuries have been an obstacle for Okwuegbunam throughout his NFL career. Despite being on the active roster, Okwuegbunam has played in just 36 of a potential 50 career games and has appeared in more than eight games just once.
He looked to be on the verge of a breakout as a rookie after racking up 105 receiving yards in his first two games before getting injured in November. Okwuegbunam tore his ACL but returned the following season to finish with a career-high 330 receiving yards.
Then in 2022, Okwuegbunam suffered a hamstring injury, landed on IR early in the season, and never really never recovered.
For his career, Okwuegbunam has compiled 546 receiving yards while averaging 10.1 yards per catch. He has four career touchdowns, including at least one in every season.
Why Did The Eagles Bring In Okwuegbunam?
Philadelphia has been looking for a potential second pass-catching tight end to complement starter Dallas Goedert. The Eagles signed tight end Dan Arnold to push second-year THE Grant Calcaterra but a position battle never materialized.
Instead, the Eagles cut Arnold and traded for Okwuegbunam, who closed the preseason with a 100-yard receiving game that once again showcased his elite athleticism.
Even after the performance, Okwuegbunam was likely to be cut by Denver. But with the Eagles standing 31st in line on the waiver wire, Howie Roseman decided to swap picks with the Broncos in order to nab the talented TE prospect.
“First thing you talk about Albert, you talk about the physical ability,” Roseman said. “He is 6-5. He is almost 260 pounds. He runs a 4.4. He’s got a huge wing span. He has really good lower-body flexibility for a big guy.”
Okwuegbunam Excited For Fresh Start With ‘Great Program’
For Okwuegbunam, his time in Denver was marred by constant change. He played under two different head coaches and had multiple quarterbacks under center, including Drew Locke, Teddy Bridgewater, and Russell Wilson.
“It’s a fresh start,” Okwuegbunam said after practice on Thursday. “So, I’m really excited about the opportunity to come in here, work my butt off and I got a great support system here. Great culture. And really I just look forward to being part of a great program.”
The Eagles have had tremendous success at the tight end position and head coach Nick Sirianni has a knack for getting the most out of his tight ends, which ultimately gave Roseman the confidence to make the deal.
“We had a chance to watch him together, and obviously, Coach [Nick Sirianni] has had tremendous success with that position and some guys who look like this,” Roseman said. “So, bring him in here. He is 25 years old. We have some people in the building who were with Denver when they drafted him and give him an opportunity.”
