Late in August, Mardy Gilyard thought he might finally have a chance to earn his spot on an NFL roster—the Philadelphia Eagles’ roster, incidentally—but found himself on the outside looking in come final cuts, and was released along with 22 other players vying for a job on the team’s 53-man roster.
Gilyard scores a TD against the Jets (via Getty Images).
Two weeks later, he’s back in the thick of things. With minor—possibly, but not likely, severe—injuries to Jeremy Maclin (hip flexor) and Jason Avant (bruised wrist) to along with the continuing collarbone injury to Riley Cooper, the only healthy WRs still on the roster were Damaris Johnson and DeSean Jackson heading into Tuesday. To help alleviate those injury problems, the team brought back Gilyard, who had an excellent preseason, to fill in as the team’s fourth or fifth guy (depending on the fluctuating situations of both Maclin and Avant).
He had nine catches for an impressive 151 yards and two TDs in the preseason, including a 71-yard performance against the Jets, one that included a 31-yard TD strike from Trent Edwards. After a brief workout Tuesday, team coaches decided that the former 2010 Saint Louis Rams draft pick was up to speed and ready for game action if needed.
To make room for him on the roster, the Eagles decided to part ways with second-year safety Jaiquawn Jarrett, who despite numerous opportunities to prove his worth as a second-round pick showed that he was simply not ready to compete in the NFL. With special teams stud Colt Anderson recuperating quickly and starting safeties Kurt Coleman and Nate Allen playing admirably in Week 1, the time was right for the Eagles to cut their losses and save face with the former second-rounder.
In other news, TE Chase Ford was bumped off the practice roster by former Raiders’ WR Derek Carrier.
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