The Eagles are signing offensive lineman Evan Neal. Pro Football Talk and Yahoo Sports both reported the signing, citing multiple reports. NFL Trade Rumors, which lists Neal as a guard, said the club had not yet announced the move.
The timeline comes from NFL Trade Rumors. Its first item said the Eagles hosted Neal for a workout on Wednesday, citing the NFL's Official Transaction Wire. Its second item cited Zach Berman, who reported that Neal was spotted on the practice field Thursday after the Wednesday tryout. That was the basis for saying he was signing. The sources we have give no contract terms, no length of deal and no roster designation, so none of those are known yet.
Neal is 26. NFL Trade Rumors noted he was a three-year starter at Alabama and a consensus first-team All-American and first-team All-SEC selection in 2021. The Giants then took him No. 7 overall in the 2022 draft. The reporting we have does not say how he came to be available, what role Philadelphia has in mind for him or where he would line up. Our archive also returned no game data for him, so we can't say how he has played this season.
The Eagles are 2-4 and third in the NFC East, and they have lost four straight. All three of their most recent losses were close: 24-20 to the Rams on Oct. 4, 19-17 at Jacksonville on Oct. 11, and 25-14 to Carolina on Oct. 18. None of the sources link the signing to those results, and we won't draw that link either.
2-43rd in NFC EastStreak L4
The next test is Monday, Oct. 26, when Philadelphia hosts Dallas. Neal practiced Thursday, so he could be available then. Whether he's active, and whether the club announces the deal beforehand, is the thing to watch.
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