Eagles Sign 9 Players to Futures Contracts, ‘Tank Master’ Inks Deal (2024)

GettyDefensive tackle Treyvon Hester poses with his Eagles teammates in 2019.

The Philadelphia Eagles agreed to terms with 10 players, including the guy who iced Sunday’s season finale for the Washington Football Team. Veteran defensive tackle T.Y. McGill was signed to a one-year contract on Monday as the fallout from TankGate raged on.

McGill saw action in seven games for Philly in 2020 and finished with nine total tackles, plus 0.5 sacks on 127 defensive snaps. He was a solid contributor in the trenches, especially after injuries decimated the defensive line down the stretch. Remember, Derek Barnett and Fletcher Cox were both ruled out in Week 17. It’s not that McGill played poorly overall, but he’ll be best remembered for one embarrassing penalty that essentially handed the NFC East to Washington.

Alex Smith got McGill to jump offsides with the hard count on a crucial 4th-and-inches late in the fourth quarter. Washington was leading 20-14 at the time and the decision to go for it was a bold move that turned out to be the final nail in the Eagles’ coffin. To be fair, defensive Vinny Curry also bit on Smith’s cadence.

McGill was the one flagged for the penalty — and the one who caused a brief scare when he landed awkwardly on Smith’s ankle. Some questioned McGill’s motive and called it a dirty post-whistle cheap shot.

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Eagles Sign 9 Players to Futures Contract

The Eagles always end the year by locking up their favorite practice-squad players to futures contracts. The moves serve as a way to keep those players off waivers and ensure invitations to training camp. All are veteran minimum salaries and don’t count against the 53-man roster. Philadelphia protected the following nine guys (all were on the 2020 practice squad):

Deontay Burnett, WR: The 6-footer from USC saw action in two games and made three catches for 19 yards, including one first down. Burnett has 15 career receptions for 210 yards in stints with the Eagles and New York Jets.

Hakeem Butler, TE: The “human-video game” never got powered up in 2020 with his biggest claim to fame coming on a missed goal-line connection in Week 7. It turned out to be his only offensive snap in two games.

Blake Countess, S: The former sixth-round pick rejoined the Eagles (third tour of duty) on Dec. 16 and played in Week 15 and Week 16. The hard-hitting safety is a proven veteran who has racked up 57 total tackles, two interceptions, one sack in 45 career games in stints with the Eagles, Rams, Jets.

Treyvon Hester, DT: The Pittsburgh native made headlines in 2018 when he tipped the infamous “Double Doink” field-goal miss in the Eagles’ wild-card playoff win. The 304-pounder has recorded 40 career tackles along with two sacks and eight quarterback hits in 41 games.

Lavert Hill, CB: The undrafted rookie cornerback joined the Eagles’ practice squad on Dec. 8 and never got elevated to the active roster. Hill (5-foot-10, 190 pounds) was one of just four players in Michigan history to record multiple pick-sixes, returning two interceptions for touchdowns in 38 starts.

Elijah Holyfield, RB: The son of boxing legend Evander Holyfield has been a staple on the Eagles’ practice squad since Week 17 of 2019. He entered training camp as a favorite to win the fourth running back job but failed to make final cuts. The 215-pounder was later added to the supplemental roster. Holyfield, who rushed for 1,340 yards at Georgia, hasn’t played in an NFL game.

Jameson Houston, CB: Houston, a former “lockdown” corner at Baylor, was forced into action for Philly down the stretch as injuries decimated the secondary. He played 22 defensive snaps in Week 17 and allowed one completion on three targets. He was teammates with fellow rookie Grayland Arnold in college.

Matt Leo, DE: The Aussie-born plumber came over as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program and spent the year on the Eagles’ practice squad. He spent two years at Iowa State where he recorded 33 total tackles (11.5 for loss) and three sacks.

Joe Ostman, DE: There was high hopes for the hard-working defensive end coming off a torn ACL, but a numbers crunch at the position stunted his growth. The 6-foot-3, 259-pounder saw action in three games in 2020 and logged one tackle while being on the wrong end of a vicious stiff-arm in Week 11. The organization remains high on their best scout-team player.

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