Top 10 best undrafted free agent signings by the Eagles

The Eagles found a diamond in the rough following the 1984 Draft in the form of Andre Waters.

If you didn’t know any better, you might be talked into believing that Andre Waters was a second or third-round draft choice. Nope! They found him after the selection meeting in 1984.

Philly was searching for more depth in the secondary, and boy oh boy, did they find it. Who would have thought they’d find it while watching some Cheyney University football?

Waters didn’t see the field much during his first two seasons with the Birds. He notched ten tackles and two fumble recoveries during that time. That’s when Buddy Ryan was hired and took over in 1986.

Perhaps you’ve heard… Buddy enjoyed a more aggressive style of defense. A guy that would eventually earn the ‘Dirty Waters’ moniker was just what the doctor ordered.

Waters assumed starting strong safety duties, and river the next eight years, he became an important piece to one of the best defensive units in the league. He notched 910 tackles, 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, eight fumble recoveries, one fumble returned for a touchdown, and 15 interceptions in 137 career regular-season games with 100 starts.

Waters’ violent style of play made him a fan-favorite among Birds fans, but his hitting style also led to a rule change. He’s the reason defenders couldn’t hit a quarterback below the waist when he is standing in the pocket.

The career accolades continued when his playing days were over. He was named as a member of the Eagles 75th Anniversary Team.