When the Philadelphia Eagles released Devin White after four weeks on the inactive list, it created a unique opportunity for Howie Roseman to fill out his roster with one more deserving player.
But who would it be? Would he steal a player off of another team’s practice squad? Or sign an intriguing free agent off the open market?
Well, as it turns out, Roseman didn’t have t0 look too far to find his 53rd Eagle, as on the day before Philadelphia’s Week 6 showdown with the Cleveland Browns, the team officially announced that they were signing Parris Campbell to the active roster after spending the first month and change of the regular season on the practice squad.
Originally signed to compete for the WR3 spot with Davante Parker – remember him? – John Ross, Johnny Wilson, and Ainias Smith, Campbell was injured when it mattered most down the stretch during the preseason and was ultimately released in the final roster trim down to 53 in favor of trade addition Jahan Dotson. Still, after carefully considering his options, Campbell decided to stick around and has caught all six of his targets over the last two games as a practice squad elevated, amassing 30 yards and a touchdown over 99 offensive snaps.
Are those numbers great? Eh, no, not really, but when you consider Dotson only has 25 yards on five receptions versus nine receptions, he’s somehow the Eagles’ fourth-most productive receiver behind AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Britain Covey.
Can Campbell prove his worth, step up as a full-time member of the Eagles, and become their WR3 moving forward? Only time will tell, but considering how poorly the rest of Philadelphia receivers have played outside of their Big-2, he can’t do that much worse of a job.
Eagles HC Nick Sirianni complemented Parris Campbell on Friday
Discussing the prospects of Campbell potentially filling the 53rd roster spot heading into Week 6, Nick Sirianni told reporters that he really appreciates how the former Indianapolis Colts draftee has looked in 2024, as he’s done everything the team has asked him to do.
“Yeah, [WR] Parris [Campbell] has done some really good things. I’ve seen Parris make plays for a long time in this league. He plays with relentless effort, he plays physical, he plays tough. And when he’s gotten opportunities – I think he has 8 targets and 8 catches. You guys would know that,” Sirianni told reporters.
“I thought I saw something like that with our stats that they give me. I think he has 8 targets and 8 catches, so he’s taking advantage of the opportunities he’s gotten. And he’s fast, so he helps there. We will see how that plays out, but I’m pleased with Parris and the things that he’s done.”
After some initial shock over his release, Campbell has kept to himself, kept working, and ultimately made an impression, landing on the 53-man six weeks into the season. If he can catch just one pass for seven yards in Week 6, he’ll leapfrog Covey and become the Eagles WR3 in terms of production, which isn’t ideal but is how some fans saw things shaking out six months ago all the same.
