Eagles Cut CB Cliff Harris

Cliff Harris was a hit early. Now he’s off the team.

The Eagles announced that they waived the rookie corner Sunday morning. The roster now stands at 79.

On Saturday, they cut wide receiver Elvis Akpla, safety Wade Bonner, defensive end Xavier Brown, wide receiver Brian Hernandez (injured), wide receiver McKay Jacobson, wide receiver Tiger Jones, offensive lineman Alfred McCullough, safety Tom Nelson, cornerback Kevin Thomas and offensive lineman Thomas Welch.

They need to trim the roster to 53 by August 31.

Harris impressed with his athleticism early and stood out when competing against his fellow rookies before the pads went on. He suffered an ankle injury on August 6, though, and fell behind the pack once the hitting began to heat up.

Harris had two passes defensed and an interception this preseason.

The former All-American at Oregon had his share of off-field trouble on the collegiate level and he went undrafted. His ability was noticeable right away. He was not projected by most to make the 53-man roster as the weeks went on, but was thought of as a good candidate for the practice squad.

Update: Reid later explained why the Eagles had to wait until Saturday to cut Harris.

“We couldn’t get a hold of him yesterday,” he said. “We got a hold of him today and so there wasn’t anything [wrong]. It gives him an opportunity to catch on with somebody else.”

Reid also said the move had nothing to do with any off-the-field issues.

“That wasn’t the issue here,” he said. “It was a numbers thing and he was one of the tough ones that we had to let go. There are going to be more down the road.”