The Philadelphia Eagles made two roster moves following Day 5 of NFL training camp.
The team announced they had signed veteran offensive lineman Nick Gates and released cornerback Mario Goodrich in a corresponding move.
Gates, 28, originally signed with the New York Giants as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2018 NFL Draft. He spent five seasons playing for the Big Blue before joining the Washington Commanders last fall.
At this point in his NFL career, Gates has logged 29 starts through 44 games.
He has experience playing center, guard, and some right tackle. A majority of the snaps he's logged in recent years have come at the center position.
Gates' 2023 season is nothing to brag about after he allowed five sacks, six QB hits, and 21 pressures over 641 snaps for the Commanders.
But the Eagles lack experienced depth behind starting center Cam Jurgens, so the Gates signing makes sense and adds some veteran help alongside rookies Trevor Keegan and Dylan McMahon.
As for Goodrich, the chances of him making the roster this year battling against 14 other cornerbacks was slim to none.
Goodrich joined the Eagles in 2022 where he was elevated for one game. He finally made his NFL debut last fall against the Minnesota Vikings and was active for three other contests after that. He failed to make much use of those appearances as he did not record a single interception or pass breakup for the Birds.
