Eagles sign intriguing rookie corner in flurry of roster moves
Eagles sign intriguing rookie corner in flurry of roster moves originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Eagles announced Monday they had signed Shon Stephens, an undrafted small-school cornerback who was in rookie camp as a tryout player.
Stephens, 5-foot-9, 180 pounds, was invited to Michigan’s pro day in March, where he got noticed with a 4.38 40-yard dash, a 38 ½-inch vertical jump and 10-foot broad jump.
After beginning his college career at JUCO Bakersfield (Calif.) and Missouri Southern State, Stephens spent the 2022 season at NCAA Division 2 West Liberty (W. Va.) University and then planned to walk on at Penn State for the 2023 season but instead wound up at Division 2 Ferris State in Big Rapids, Mich.
His eight interceptions for West Liberty — including four vs. Alderson Broaddus — were most in NCAA Division 2 in 2022, and he had eight more this past year for Ferris, 2nd-most in Division 2 (behind Tanner Volk of Central Washington) and he had eight more in 2023.
Stephens joins a crowded Eagles cornerback room that includes 2023 holdovers Darius Slay, James Bradberry, Avonte Maddox, Kelee Ringo, Eli Ricks, Josh Jobe, Zech McPhearson, Mekhi Garner and Mario Goodrich, rookie draft picks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, veteran Isaiah Rodgers and undrafted Tyler Hall, who has had stints with the Raiders and Falcons.
The Eagles announced that rookie draft picks Jalyx Hunt, Will Shipley and Ainias Smith had signed their contracts. Hunt is a 3rd-round edge rusher from Houston Christian, Shipley a 4th-round running back from Clemson and Smith is a 5th-round wide receiver from Texas A&M.
The Eagles last week signed 5th-round offensive lineman Trevor Keegan from Michigan and 6th-round wide receiver Johnny Wilson from Florida State.
Still unsigned are 1st-round corner Mitchell from Toledo, 2nd-round corner DeJean from Iowa, 5th-round linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. from Clemson and 7th-round center Dylan McMahon from North Carolina State.
The Eagles also announced they had released tight end Noah Togiai, who has been on and off the roster since 2020 and has also had stints with the Colts, Cards and Raiders.
Togiai, undrafted out of Oregon State, has played in eight NFL games, four with the Colts in 2020, one with the Eagles in 2021, two with the Eagles in 2022 and one with the Eagles last year. He’s played 43 offensive snaps (with two targets and no catches) in four games with the Eagles along with 46 special teams snaps.
With Togiai no longer here, the Eagles have six tight ends on the roster: Incumbents Dallas Goedert, Grant Calcaterra and Albert Okwuegbunam Jr, as well as newcomers C.J. Uzomah, a 5rd-round pick of the Bengals in 2015, E.J. Jenkins and undrafted rookie McCallan Castles from Tennessee. Jenkins was on the Eagles’ and Raiders’ practice squads.
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