Eagles Work Out LB Hall, CB Steeples
The Eagles worked out a pair of players – inside linebacker Bryan Hall and cornerback Robert Steeples – yesterday, according to Adam Caplan.
Hall (6-0, 255) signed with the Ravens in the summer of 2011. He spent his entire rookie season on the practice squad before getting bumped to the active roster for five games last year. Hall, 24, played a total of 73 snaps along the defensive line in 2012, according to Pro Football Focus. He played his college ball at Arkansas State.
Originally, we had Hall listed as a defensive tackle, but as Matt Vensel of The Baltimore Sun pointed out, he lost 40 to 50 pounds when the Ravens asked him to switch positions. Aaron Wilson of The Sun got John Harbaugh’s thoughts on Hall:
“Bryan takes off 50 pounds, and he really played well,” Harbaugh said. “It was just a tough call. Here’s a guy who’s been around for a while. It’s going to be a little tough right here with the numbers, but we feel like he’s got a chance to make it somewhere. So, if we do it this week, as opposed to next week, maybe we give him an opportunity more so to do that.
“Love him being on the team, love his attitude every day, his work ethic, the kind of person he is. He’s another guy I think could play football for a while, but no matter what he does, he’s going to be really successful.”
The Eagles certainly need linebacker depth. They’ve got DeMeco Ryans and Mychal Kendricks as the starters. Undrafted free agent Jake Knott has an excellent shot to make the team. Casey Matthews and Emmanuel Acho are fighting for roster spots.
Steeples (6-1, 194), meanwhile, started his college career at Missouri and finished with one season at Memphis. He signed with the Rams as an undrafted free agent, but was let go earlier this week.
“He worked very hard,” said Jeff Fisher, according to KMOX-Radio in St. Louis. “He’s got some athletic ability and such, and he’s really a pleasant young man to be around. It just didn’t work out.”
Cornerback is a big need position for the Eagles right now. Curtis Marsh and Brandon Hughes are out with injuries. The Eagles’ only options behind Cary Williams, Bradley Fletcher and Brandon Boykin are Trevard Lindley and seventh-round pick Jordan Poyer.
Howie Roseman and his staff will be busy in the coming days. Teams around the NFL have to cut their rosters down to 53 by 6 p.m. Saturday. The Eagles could look to add players for depth at a number of spots.
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