The 2010s saw many superstars take the field at the Linc. Guys like Carson Wentz, Nick Foles, LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, Zach Ertz, Fletcher Cox, and Malcolm Jenkins all blossomed during this decade and became household names across the entire country. Of course for every one of those players, there were a handful of players that fell through the cracks, and were wiped from the memory of Eagles fans almost entirely.
This article highlights 28 players that fall into that second category. Hearing some of these names might trigger some bad memories, some of these names will still make you say "who the hell was that guy?" We'll recap their time as an Eagle, and what happened to them after their time with the Eagles came to an end. If you come to the end of this article and remembered all 28 of these guys, then you are the cream of the crop of Eagles die-hards. You care a little too much about the team (and have had or will likely need psychiatric help from watching these guys play).
LB Akeem Jordan (2007-2012)
Jordan might actually be the most "well-known" of these players listed, but he is still an easy guy to forget about. He played in Philadelphia for six seasons, and yet never made a real name for himself. He played in 82 games (started in 34 of those games), and recorded 264 tackles, one sack and two interceptions.
CB Roc Carmichael
Most people have ever never heard of him, but others gets PTSD when this name is mentioned. Carmichael joined the Eagles in 2013, and made two mistakes in the Wildcard game against the New Orleans Saints. On special teams, the Eagles punted the ball down to the one-yard line, but while running down to touch the ball Carmichael kicked it into the endzone for a touchback. He also had to step in and play one down at cornerback for Cary Williams on a 3rd-and-11. Drew Brees targeted the weaklink and converted the 1st down. Carmichael played in just 13 regular season games for the Eagles in 2013, recording 16 tackles and four passes defended. He was also on the roster for a few games for 2014, but was never active before eventually getting released towards the end of the season. That's the last we ever heard of that guy.
DL Brandon Bair
Bair was brought in by Chip Kelly to be a tall (6'7) and stout 3-4 DT. He played in 21 games with two starts for the Eagles, and registered 28 tackles, 1.5 sacks and batted down four passes between 2014 and 2015. One of his most memorable moments was when he blocked a kick in the 2014 season opener that helped shift momentum. His best game was against the New York Jets in 2015, when he batted down three passes to help the Eagles come away with a win.
LB Keenan Clayton
Clayton was selected in the fourth round of the 2010 Draft by the Birds. He spent just two years with the team, playing in 21 games with just one start. He registered 43 tackles and one pass defended in his time on the field. He was out of the league by 2012.
LB Ernie Sims
Sims was acquired by the Eagles via a three-team trade in 2010, needed to send away just a 5th round round pick to complete the transaction. Sims was supposed to solidify the linebacker position for an Eagles defense in desperate need of a solid linebacker. He played and started in 15 games that year and picked up 55 tackles, five passes defended, two sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. The team was apparently not impressed with the pending free-agent, and let him walk in the offseason.
LB Moise Fokou
Fokou was another linebacker the Eagles drafted in hopes of finding a late-round gem to help fix the linebacking corps, selecting him in the 7th-round of the 2009 Draft. Fokou was given plenty of chances to win the starting strong-side linebacker job, but he failed to impress. He played 43 games in Philadelphia (starting in 22 of them), and put together 112 tackles, four passes defended, one sack, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. He was traded in 2012 along with Greg Lloyd to the Indianapolis Colts for Kevin Thomas and a conditional seventh round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.
WR Jeff Maehl
When Chip Kelly saw a chance to bring in a former college player of his, he took it. Kelly traded offensive lineman Nate Menkin to the Houston Texans in order to bring in his old wide receiver. Maehl played in 24 games as an Eagle between 2013 and 2014, catching nine passes for 113 yards and one touchdown. He was out of the league before the start of 2015.
CB Brandon Hughes
He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in 2009, but he didn't make a 53-man roster until the Eagles grabbed him off the New York Giants practice squad in the middle of 2010. The Eagles were desperate for cornerback help after Ellis Hobbs suffered a career-ending injury. He was given a chance to make an impact in 2011 and 2012, but provided essentially nothing. He played 31 games as an Eagle (started one of those games) and finished with 32 tackles, two passes defended and one fumble recovery. Once the Eagles released him in 2013, he never played in the NFL again.
FB Owen Schmitt
The fullback has slowly started to make its way out of the NFL entirely, but back in the early 2010s it was still a necessary position in most offenses. The Eagles brought in Schmitt after Leonard Weaver suffered a career-ending injury. Weaver was a big part of the Eagles offense, so Schmitt had big shoes to fill, but he underwhelmed in his time in Philly. He played 31 games in midnight green, catching 22 passes for 168 yards and one touchdown with just six total rushing yards. He moved on to the Oakland Raiders in 2012, and at the completion of that season he never played football again. After his playing career was over, Schmitt partnered with the Davisson Brothers Band and opened "Schmitt's Saloon and Davisson Brothers Band Music Hall" in West Virginia, which operated until 2018.
OL Tanner Hawkinson
Hawkinson joined the Eagles in October of 2015 when the team grabbed him off of the San Francisco 49ers practice squad. He was inactive for a majority of the games, but was active for two of them in his time with the team. He ended up being cut even before getting a full offseason with the Birds. Hawkinson was active for just four games in his NFL career before announcing his retirement at the age of 25.
CB C.J. Smith
Smith was Carson Wentz's teammate at North Dakota State, so when he went undrafted it seemed obvious why the team brought him in. He didn't make the initial 53-man roster, but he joined the practice squad and was later called up to the active roster in October of 2016. In 10 games as an Eagle, he recorded just one tackle. He was released in 2017, and went to the Cleveland Browns for one season. He has not given up on his NFL dreams just yet; in 2019 he was a part of the AAF before it became defunct. He is now on the Dallas Renegades of the XFL, and is scheduled to get that season underway on February 8th.
LB Brian Rolle
Yet another late-round linebacker that did not work out in Philadelphia. Rolle was selected in the 6th round of the 2011 Draft and started almost immediately. His played in his rookie season didn't go over well with the organization, and was released by the team early in 2012 due to his poor special teams play. In 20 games as an Eagle, Rolle put together 54 tackles, four passes defended, one sack, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. He tried making the Pittsburgh Steelers the following season, but was unsuccessful. He had to resort to playing in the Canadian Football League for two season before he decided to retire.
WR Jonathan Krause
Krause was a teammate of Jordan Matthews back at Vanderbilt. The team signed Krause to their practice squad in September of 2015 and was promoted to the active roster shortly after that. He was on the roster for 10 games, and caught two passes for 11 yards. He didn't make the Eagles roster in 2016. In fact, he didn't make a NFL roster ever again.
WR Greg Salas
The Eagles claimed Salas off of waivers in November of 2012. He did not get on the field in 2012, but a full offseason with the team gave him a good chance of making the 2013 team. Even though he impressed in the preseason (and make this amazing one-handed snag), he was released during final roster cuts, and signed to the Eagles practice squad. He never played a regular season game with the Birds, but his claim to fame will always be the 2013 preseason.
RB Matthew Tucker
Tucker was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2013, and impressed during Training Camp and the preseason. He was on the team's active roster for two games, but never played. He also made the 2014 team, but yet again he did not play in the regular season. Tucker was cut from the team after sustaining a non-football injury in the 2015 offseason, and failed to make the New York Jets in 2016. So after two success preseason with the Eagles, Tucker failed to ever play a regular season snap in the NFL.
WR Marvin McNutt
The Eagles selected McNutt in the 6th round of the 2012 Draft with the hope that he could possibly turn into a red zone threat with his 6'2 frame. He showed virtually no promise, as he ended up on the field for just four games his rookie season. The team released him the following offseason. He finished his NFL career with more tackles (two) than receptions (zero) thanks to his limited special teams play.
CB E.J. Biggers
The Eagles signed Biggers to a one-year deal in the offseason heading into the 2015 campaign. He played all 16 games for the team that year, and started in three of those games. He picked up 44 tackles and seven passes defended. One season was all the team wanted out of him, as they let him walk in the offseason. He tried making the New England Patriots roster in 2016, but was later released. The Eagles were his last team he played a regular season game with.
RB Terrell Watson
Watson played in just one game for the Eagles - the 2017 season-finale against the Dallas Cowboys. With the team already eliminated and nothing to play for, Watson was able to get 12 offensive snaps. He registered 28 yards on nine rushes, and was able to score a touchdown on a goal line rush. He was also able to add one reception for five yards. The team would later release him during the following offseason. He was able to make the Pittsburgh Steelers roster the following season, and was active in 10 games for them. Last year he tried continuing his NFL dream by playing in the AAF before it became defunct. The 26-year-old is currently a free agent.
WR Damaris Johnson
The Eagles added Johnson as an undrafted free agent after the 2012 Draft. He made the 53-man roster and actually made a little impact in his first season. He recorded a 98-yard-punt return against the Cowboys that season, which still remains the longest punt return in Eagles history and is is tied for the third longest punt return in NFL history. All together Johnson played in 27 games over the course of two seasons in Philadelphia (starting one of those games). He caught 21 passes for 270 yards, and added 12 rushing yards as well. The Eagles released him after the 2014 preseason, and Johnson was later picked up by the Houston Texans. He played two additional seasons in the league before not hearing from a team again.
RB Byron Marshall
Marshall signed as an undrafted free agent with the Eagles after the 2016 Draft. He didn't make the 53-man roster, but stayed on the team's practice squad until the team was eliminated from playoff contention. At that point the Eagles brought him up to the active roster, where he played in the remaining three games. He had 19 carries for 64 rushing yards over those three games, and was brought back to compete for a roster spot in 2017. He failed to make the Eagles 53-man roster again, but this time around the Washington Redskins picked him up and made him active in 10 games over the course of 2017 and 2018. This past season he spent some time on the Baltimore Ravens practice squad.
LB Jake Knott
Knott was not picked in the 2013 Draft, but was signed by the Eagles shortly after the conclusion of the draft. He was considered one of the best available players after the draft, and there was some hope he could develop into a solid linebacker. He made a great first impression in Week 1 of the regular season, as he recovered an onside kick to secure Chip Kelly's first win as a NFL coach. He ended up with eight tackles that season, and was going into 2014 with a good shot of making the roster once again. In April it was announced that he would be suspended for the first four games of the 2014 campaign for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. He still spent the preseason with the team, but the Eagles ultimately released him. He ended up playing out the rest of his suspension and season with the Miami Dolphins. He was never invited to join another team's roster after 2014.
RB Eldra Buckley
The Eagles originally acquire Buckley by claiming him off of waivers from the San Diego Chargers. He beat out Lorenzo Booker for the final running back roster spot, and spent the next two seasons in Philadelphia. He was given an exclusive-rights free agent tender and was re-signed to a one-year contract on late in 2011, but he was released during final roster cuts. In two seasons as an Eagle, Buckley rushed 36 times for 111 yards and a touchdown, and also added one catch for 10 yards. He spent 2011 with the Detroit Lions, and after that he disappeared from the NFL.
C David Molk
The last time Jason Kelce missed a football game was in 2012. David Molk was the guy who took Kelce's place at center, starting four games and active for a total of seven games that season. During the second game of the 2015 season, Molk tore his bicep and was placed on injured reserve. He retired from the NFL just six months after that injury. The reason for his retirement was speculated that he actually hated the NFL, and wrote a book about how he hated football and just wanted to make money as a backup so he wouldn't play that often.
QB Thad Lewis
Thad Lewis was signed in September 2015 to be the 3rd string quarterback for the Eagles, behind Sam Bradford and Mark Sanchez. The combination of Bradford and Sanchez stayed healthy enough that Lewis never played a snap for the team, and when his contract expired at the end of the season he was not resigned. It's pretty easy to forget a player who never actually PLAYED for the Eagles.
WR Bryce Treggs
There was some hype surrounding the addition of Treggs when the Eagles claimed him off of waivers in 2016. Known as a speedster, the Eagles lacked a deep threat and were desperately trying to plug different receivers into the lineup to see who worked best. Treggs shined in his first game as an Eagle, catching two passes for 69 yards (one of them was a big throw and catch downfield). Unfortunately, that's the only highlight Treggs had with the Birds. He played in nine games and totaled three catches for 80 yards. He failed to make the 53-man roster in 2017, so he tried catching on with the Cleveland Browns. He did not impress there either, and soon found himself on the Eagles practice squad. He was on their practice squad when the team beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII, so he received a Super Bowl ring for his work ethic. He has since retired from playing football and has transitioned to become a sports agent, a job that Nick Foles helped him get.
DT Damion Square
Square was signed as an undrafted free agent immediately after the 2013 Draft. He played in 10 games with the Eagles, making just four tackles and deflecting one pass. The play that he is most known for as an Eagle was getting trucked by DeMarco Murray in the Week 17 winner-takes-the-division game against the Dallas Cowboys. He failed to make the Eagles roster in 2014, but he made the Kansas City Chiefs roster that year. He has since caught on with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers, playing in 65 games with them so far and is still on their active roster.
DE Clifton Geathers
Geathers was a tall defensive end (6'8), something that Chip Kelly was fascinated with for some reason (we already mentioned Brandon Bair). Kelly traded fullback Stanley Havili to the Indianapolis Colts in order to acquire Geathers. He played in all 16 games that season (starting one), and picked up 13 tackles. The Eagles moved on from him after the season, and by the end of 2014 he never made an active roster again.
DT Destiny Vaeao
Vaeao signed with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent following the 2016 Draft. He made the initial 53-man roster, and showed some flashes in his rookie season. He made the team again in 2017 and won a Super Bowl ring for being a backup the entire season. He remained with the team in 2018 and made three starts, but he was placed on injured reserve in October. The team agree to an injury settle with him to release him from the team, and Vaeao was able to sign with the New York Jets towards the end of the season. He spent parts of 2019 with the Carolina Panthers, but as of now he is a free agent. In 33 games (three starts) with the Eagles, he picked up 27 tackles, three sacks, one pass defended, and one forced fumble.
