Philadelphia Eagles promote familiar face to active roster for Dallas game

It must be time for a game or something. The tension between rival factions is so thick that you can cut it with a knife, and the Philadelphia Eagles have been busy.

Heading into the final game of the NFL’s slate in Week 3, a game that doubles as the first of two annual meetings between Philly and one of their biggest rivals, there’s no shortage of topics to talk about.

Here’s an update on the Eagles’ roster and two immediate thoughts that follow.

The Philadelphia Eagles add O-line reinforcements before Monday Night Football.

Is there any way that time can, both, fly by and drag by at the same time? One minute, the Philadelphia Eagles are blowing a game versus the San Francisco 49ers. The next we’re already talking about the final game of the NFL’s third week of action. Wait! Three weeks are in the books already?

The Birds, a little over eight days after losing their home opener, are in Arlington to square off with the Dallas Cowboys. Just hours before kickoff, according to the Philadelphia Eagles’ official website, they altered the lineup some as a familiar face, Sua Opeta, has been promoted from the practice squad to the active roster.

Here are two immediate thoughts following the news.

1. Again, Sua Opeta is someone every Eagles fan should recognize. 

Opeta, an undrafted free agent in 2019, was snagged by the Philadelphia Eagles shortly after that year’s version of the NFL Draft. Perhaps you’ve heard this mentioned a time or two, but in 2020, a rash of injuries forced the Birds’ offensive line to be reconfigured over and over again.

Opeta started two of the eight games that he appeared in a season ago. He’s definitely familiar with what this team is doing and with his offensive line coach, Jeff Stoutland. In all honesty, if they were going to make this type of move, this is one that makes total sense.

2. This hasn’t affected any of the Eagles’ plans for the rest of the season.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re well aware that the Eagles’ loss in Week 2 was costly for a couple of reasons other than it dropped them to 1-1 on the season. Philly also was forced to place two of their starters, Brandon Graham and Brandon Brooks on injured reserve.

Graham is done for the season. Brooks should return at some point, so while Opeta’s promotion is interesting and less than surprising, expect rookie Landon Dickerson, not Opeta, to get the start. He should continue to do so until Brooks is ready for in-game action again.