Party like it’s 1999! The Eagles turned back the clock on Tuesday.
They signed a fullback.
The Eagles on Tuesday afternoon signed veteran fullback Khari Blasingame to the practice squad. They also released receiver John Ross from the practice squad injured list.
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Blasingame, 28, has played in 66 career games with 21 starts for the Titans and Bears but has been out of work since Oct. 25, when he was released by Chicago.
The Eagles this season added the element of a fullback to their offense by giving linebacker Ben VanSumeren some snaps. VanSumeren played 22 snaps on offense this season as a lead blocker but was lost for the year when he suffered a knee injury at practice on Friday.
During Sunday’s game, Grant Calcaterra was able to step into that lead blocker role very briefly but now he can focus on being a tight end. And with Dallas Goedert’s knee injury, Calcaterra might need to be TE1 for a few weeks again.
But the Eagles must have liked the dynamic that lead blocker package brought to the offense because they’re now exploring it further with a veteran fullback.
NFL
The last time the Eagles had a player listed as a fullback on their roster was during the 2016 offseason when they brought in former Kansas State defensive end Ryan Mueller. But Doug Pederson quickly decided he wasn’t going to use a fullback in his offense and Mueller was released before training camp. They haven’t had an official fullback since.
The fullback is an endangered species in the NFL but the Eagles this season have morphed into a dangerous and versatile running attack. Between head coach Nick Sirianni, offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and OL coach/run game coordinator Jeff Stoutland, the Eagles have boasted one of the more varied run games in the NFL. This is just one element of many that makes them so dangerous. (It also doesn’t hurt to have a great offensive line and Saquon Barkley.)
Blasingame began his NFL career with the Vikings as an undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt in 2019. He joined the Titans that November and ended up playing in 32 games over three years with Tennessee. Then from 2022 through this October, Blasingame played in 34 games with the Chicago Bears.
In his career, Blasingame has 11 rushing attempts for 32 yards and 13 receptions for 99 yards. But he’s not in Philly to touch the football; he’s here to block. And if he gets elevated from the practice squad at some point, that will be his role.
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