Eagles sign former Chiefs pass rusher in free agency

The Eagles are bringing in LB/DE Joshua Uche on a one-year deal.

For as much as the Eagles haves been working to shed some salary this off-season, they’re also adding players, too. The second player signed in free agency is linebacker Joshua Uche, who is coming to Philadelphia on a one-year deal, per reports.

The five-year veteran was drafted by the Patriots in 2020 out of Michigan in the second round (No. 60 overall), but was traded to the Chiefs ahead of the deadline in 2024 and played six games for Kansas City. Through five seasons, he’s recorded 86 total tackles, 34 QB hits, and 20.5 sacks — he had a career high 11.5 sacks in his third season in New England.

Uche is someone who has played snaps on both defense and special teams, but never exceeded 40 percent of defensive snaps in a season. The LB/DE will come in and probably be moved around a bit, but after losing Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham on the cusp of retirement, some depth at pass rusher is welcome.

Pre-draft scouting report by Lance Zierlein:

“Balancing Uche’s skill set and athletic potential against his inexperience and lack of instincts makes him a challenging evaluation. He’s unlikely to find sustained success as a situational rusher, but it should be in play for a team to turn loose his rush instincts and agility inside the pocket as a blitzer. He plays with closing burst, can tackle and is smoother in coverage than expected, but the difference in becoming a pro linebacker instead of a short-term, hybrid athlete will depend largely upon improving his second-level instincts and finding an eclectic defensive mind to unlock his potential.”

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