Defensive end Patrick Johnson, who spent the last four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, will don a New York Giants uniform starting in Week 3.
The Eagles waived Johnson to create space on their 53-man roster for veteran offensive lineman Nick Gates ahead of their Week 2 game against the Atlanta Falcons. The Giants claimed him on September 17.
Due to an injury to top wide receiver A.J. Brown, the Eagles needed to add additional pass catchers for the Falcons game, promoting wide receiver Parris Campbell and tight end E.J. Jenkins from the practice squad, which affected their roster count and led to Johnson’s waiver.
The Eagles understood the risks of waiving Johnson, and their NFC East rival took advantage of the situation.
What Are the Giants Getting in Ex-Eagles DE Patrick Johnson?
Johnson was selected by the Eagles in the seventh round of the 2021 draft (234th overall). Although he hasn’t been a major contributor on defense, he has excelled on special teams.
Over his time with the Eagles, Johnson appeared in 49 games (with two starts), recording 35 total tackles (one for loss), three quarterback hits, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. He has played 892 snaps on special teams and 362 on defense, including his appearance in the Eagles’ season opener against the Green Bay Packers.
Given his role as a key player for Philadelphia, it’s surprising they risked losing him by placing him on waivers.
“The hope was that Johnson would clear waivers and return to the Eagles’ practice squad, but an NFL source told Eagles on SI that was unlikely,” reported John McMullen of Sports Illustrated.
Eagles Could’ve Made ‘Other Moves’ Instead
While losing Johnson isn’t a catastrophic blow for Philadelphia, it raises questions about their decision-making, especially when other options were available.
“There were alternative moves they could’ve made to prevent this situation,” wrote Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation.
“Did they really need to keep Byron Young as a sixth defensive tackle, especially since he’s been a healthy scratch since joining? Why not cut a vested veteran like Oren Burks, who wouldn’t be subject to waivers, and then bring him back on the practice squad? There didn’t seem to be a need to risk losing Johnson, but the Eagles did.”
Keeping Young over Johnson was one of the more puzzling decisions, but retaining Burks instead of Johnson also raises eyebrows. The Eagles signed the 29-year-old Burks to a one-year deal worth just over $1 million. While Burks has primarily played special teams throughout his career, he is new to the team, unlike the familiar presence of Johnson.