Eagles Claim RB William Powell Off Waivers

The Eagles added another running back to their roster today, claiming William Powell (5-9, 207) off waivers.

Powell, 25, spent last year with the Cardinals, carrying 59 times for 216 yards (3.7 YPC) behind a horrible offensive line. He also had 19 catches for 132 yards.

“The overall yards per carry wasn’t great,” said GM Howie Roseman. “But he was making a lot of yards on his own.”

LeSean McCoy and Bryce Brown figure to carry the load, but the Eagles have made several moves to address depth and competition at the running back spot this offseason. They added veteran Felix Jones and also signed undrafted free agent Matthew Tucker. Tucker failed his conditioning test earlier this week, so he’s not cleared to practice.

“I think Coach [Chip Kelly] says it’s an important part of our program,” Roseman said. “You’ve got to be able to pass the conditioning test, be able to do that to play in the NFL.”

While Tucker is clearly on thin ice, he was not released. Instead, the Eagles let wide receiver Nick Miller go.

Roseman said Powell caught the Eagles’ eye last preseason when he averaged 5.9 yards per carry on 42 carries.

According to Pro Football Focus, Powell flashed some elusiveness, breaking or avoiding 10 tackles on 59 carries.

The way the roster is currently set up, Powell, Jones, Tucker and Chris Polk will likely be fighting for one or two spots.

Follow Sheil Kapadia on Twitter and e-mail him at skapadia@phillymag.com.
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