Eli Ricks finds his place on the Eagles roster while Philly adds tight end Albert Okwuegbunam

A fan favorite, Eli Ricks, makes the Eagles initial 53-man roster. Philadelphia also turns heads by adding tight end Albert Okwuegbunam.
Albert Okwuegbunam, Philadelphia Eagles
Albert Okwuegbunam, Philadelphia Eagles / Katelyn Mulcahy/GettyImages
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Christmas won't arrive until a little under four months. Some may argue that, in the City of Brotherly Love, it came a little early. The deadline for trimming the Philadelphia Eagles roster to the allowable 53 men has come and gone. Familiar faces are gone (K'Von Wallace and Arryn Siposs). New guys have become fan favorites and have earned their opportunities (Eli Ricks). There was even an announcement of a trade that seemingly came out of nowhere.

Fasten your seatbelts. We have much to discuss.

Eli Ricks climbs the ladder while an athletic tight end, Albert Okwuegbunam, is added.

First things first. How about a hand for two more undrafted diamonds? It appears that cornerbacks Mario Goodrich and Eli Ricks have both climbed the hill to land on the Eagles' 53-man roster. That gives the Birds three former UDFAs on the unit as Josh Jobe was one of four UDFAs who made the cut a season ago. Safety Reed Blankenship, offensive lineman Josh Sills, and wide receiver/returner Britain Covey were the other three.

Here's some interesting news! A trade was executed. The new man on campus is Albert Okwuegbunam. Philadelphia sent a 2025 sixth-round draft choice to the Denver Broncos to acquire his services and also acquired a seventh-round pick out of the deal.

Okwuegbunam spent four seasons at Missouri (2016-2019). There he earned All-SEC Freshman Team honors in 2017 after redshirting during the 2016 campaign. He also notched two Second-Team All-SEC nods (2017,2019). The Denver Broncos made him the 118th overall selection during Round 4 of the 2020 NFL Draft, nine spots before the Eagles selected K'Von Wallace.

So far, Albert O. boasts 26 in-game appearances, seven starts, 54 receptions, 546 receiving yards, and four touchdowns on his professional resume. Might he be an upgrade for Tyree Jackson? We'll table that for now, but don't be shocked if we revisit that later.

Check out these other Eagles stories as well.

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