Eagles: Can Dwayne Gratz flourish in the underdog role?
Does Dwayne Gratz have a shot at making this Eagles roster?
Cornerback Dwayne Gratz signed a two-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles on December 12th of 2016. Little has been heard from him or about him since that happened, and even less has been discussed about the former third round draft choice being a part of what the Eagles are planning for the foreseeable future. With everything that’s gone on at the cornerback position within the Eagles organization, it’s easy to see how that might have happened.
There was the disappointment that was Leodis McKelvin. He’d be released at the beginning of this off-season following a brief one-year stint with the team, and prior to that, Philadelphia allowed their other starting cornerback, Nolan Carroll, to walk and eventually sign with the Dallas Cowboys. His 2016 season ended with him being placed on the injured reserve list, as did Ron Brooks‘ 2016 campaign. Brooks has yet to return to active duty, and that places him in what basically equates to “football limbo”.
That leaves the Eagles with Jalen Mills, who is walking a fine line between being on the verge and being a disappointment, newly acquired Patrick Robinson, C.J. Smith, Aaron Grymes and Gratz. No one is excited.
The overhaul continues:
As the 2017 calendar year continues to fly by, we approach the NFL Draft, and talk continues to swirl about what the Eagles will do at pick 14. We know they’ll take a cornerback, but there are two questions we keep asking. How early do they take one? Will they, indeed, take two of them? The one thing that’s certain is Gratz currently isn’t being viewed as part of the long-term future in Philly. He only signed a two-year deal , but can he impress his coaches this season?
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Yes, he’s 5’11, and he’s looking up at several guys on the depth chart. Still, in the right system and if given opportunity, he can flourish, but we won’t act as though his work isn’t cut out for him. It truly is.