Bruce Perry Signed To The Roster

[PhillyPhreak54]

Eagles Notes | Perry is in, Short is out
The Eagles players share an agent.

By Bob Brookover
Inquirer Staff Writer

It was a good news-bad news day for local agent Jerrold Colton.

The bad news came when the Eagles told him that his client Jason Short had been released.

The good news came when the Eagles told him that they were replacing Short on the roster by signing his client Bruce Perry from the practice squad today.

"I'm happy for Bruce," Colton said yesterday. "He has been patient and worked really hard, and obviously the Eagles like him because they have kept him around. He deserves this chance, and I think he's going to hang on to this position for a long time."

It has been a strange season for Perry, a Philadelphia native who played football at George Washington High and the University of Maryland. He made the final cut for the second year in a row and opened the season in Houston as the team's kickoff returner.

Perry did fine in that role against the Texans, returning three kicks for 57 yards. He also had returned kicks in the final two games last season after being signed off the practice squad and had an impressive 27.3-yard average on 10 returns.

But when cornerback Lito Sheppard suffered a serious ankle injury in the game against the Texans, the Eagles decided they needed Perry's roster spot. Perry, after being released, rejoined the practice squad when the Eagles re-signed cornerback Dexter Wynn, who had been among the team's final cuts.

Sheppard has been back for a while and Wynn has been gone for a while, but Perry had to frustratingly wait for another chance to rejoin the 53-man roster. To make matters worse, he was working as a cornerback on the scout team after spending his life as a running back. Perry still considers himself a running back.

"It hasn't been easy for him to wait this long," Colton said. "He's gotten a little piece of the action, and for the most part when he's been given a chance, he's performed well. It's been frustrating, but by the same token he's understood what the club wanted to do. He was hopeful his time would come, and now, hopefully, he'll be rewarded for his patience and hard work."

Perry's chance comes after the Eagles struggled on kickoff returns the last two weeks. Reno Mahe, who also returns punts, averaged just 18.1 yards on 10 kickoff returns in the last two games.

As for Short, he signed with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2003 and made the team in 2004 as a special-teams player. He played in 29 games, including a career-high 12 this season, and ranked fourth on the team with 15 special-teams tackles. His aggressive style of play earned him a reputation around the league as one of the top-10 most-feared players, according to a survey of NFL players by Sports Illustrated.

Short, however, has had problems staying healthy, suffering season-ending leg injuries in 2004 and 2005. He was hampered in recent weeks by a high ankle sprain he suffered against Tennessee last month.

"He was disappointed," Colton said. "He's a very emotional and passionate football player and person. He gave everything he had to the Philadelphia Eagles, and this is difficult right now because they're making a nice little playoff run. By the same token, he feels like he has an awful lot of football left in him. I do anticipate there being interest around the league."

Not too bad of a move. I would have preferred Keyonta Marshall, but this should help jump start the return game. Harbaugh's guys have to block better though. The wedges have been poor and you can barely see any lanes.

But Perry has more speed and more cutting ability than Reno so maybe his elusiveness will help make up for the poor blocking.

[ice grillin you]

if it def means replacing reno on kicks then im all for this

i just hope someone else takes renos PR duties as well

[Philly_Crew]

Glad to see this happen.  Kenyotta Marshall would have been interesting to see if he could stop the run, but I'm happy for Perry.

[General_Failure]

Why didn't they cut Moats to sign him?

[Susquehanna Birder]

I had to laugh when I looked at last week's ESPN mag. The fantasy "experts" suggested picking up Moats. Niiiiice.

[SunMo]

they'll sign Marshall when Perry gets hurt Sunday

[rjs246]

LEVON KIRKLAND!

[Diomedes]

Bruce Perry.  Big fargin' deal.

[Sgt PSN]

I'm personally excited about this move.  I can brush the dust off my authentic Perry jersey and wear it with pride again. 

[SD_Eagle5]

LEVON KIRKLAND!

[MURP]

dont fumble.

[ice grillin you]

the more i think about it the more i dont see him even playing and the more this move is a mystery to me...to me its kind of risky to pull a guy off the streets and put him in a game of this magnitude...even if it is only to return kicks....i mean they have several guys on the roster right now that can do that

this thinking could be completely wrong and we might see him returning the opening kickoff...but if i am right does this mean moats is gone next week....does it mean westbrook or buck is banged up...i mean what are the reasons for signing perry if he isnt a replacement for mahe and if he is in for reno why is short not on the team and mahe is...PR's i suppose...but does the roster really need perry for KR's AND mahe for PR's

[Eaglez]

Moats will never see the field as an Eagle. Pretty bad when they are looking to promote a RB to the active roster and have to go to the practice squad to do it when there is one sitting inactive every week.

Too bad; I thought he had more talent than Perry too. Guess not.

[PhillyPhreak54]

the more i think about it the more i dont see him even playing and the more this move is a mystery to me...to me its kind of risky to pull a guy off the streets and put him in a game of this magnitude...even if it is only to return kicks....i mean they have several guys on the roster right now that can do that

this thinking could be completely wrong and we might see him returning the opening kickoff...but if i am right does this mean moats is gone next week....does it mean westbrook or buck is banged up...i mean what are the reasons for signing perry if he isnt a replacement for mahe and if he is in for reno why is short not on the team and mahe is...PR's i suppose...but does the roster really need perry for KR's AND mahe for PR's

He wasn't exactly pulled off of Broad and Packer and given a uniform though. He was on the PS. Who can return kicks? Hood can but he'd blow his hamstring out doing it. Greg Lewis? Ryan Moats?

The blocking sucks on STs so it might not even matter who is back there.

Perry is here to return kicks. He's still a CB according to Reid. Thats where he has been working in practice and he can play RB "if need be".

I have a feeling that we see Lito or Westbrook at PR on Sunday

[Sgt PSN]

Westbrook returning punts in the Meadowlands vs the Gints?  Yes please.