PHILADELPHIA − Perhaps you never thought about how you might prepare for a “zombie apocalypse.”
Well, newest Eagles linebacker Myles Jack has − and it’s go to trade school. Jack said he was thinking about doing that when the Eagles called Saturday. He got on a plane from his home in Jacksonville, packing just two pairs of “drawers,” as he called underwear, plus socks, sweatsuits and his Bible.
The seven-year NFL veteran tried out Sunday afternoon, then found out that he wasn’t getting on a plane back home. That’s because the Eagles told him they’re signing him and fellow veteran linebacker Zach Cunningham to one-year contracts.
Jack said he went to an area retailer to buy some T-shirts, and said he’d wash his underwear when he got a chance.
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Then he was asked why he’d consider trade school during an NFL career in which he was a second-round pick in 2016, signed a four-year deal worth as much as $57 million in 2019, and made tens of millions of dollars even though he was released in each of the past two springs.
“I’m a hustler,” Jack said. “I feel like I can do anything. … I’ve been blessed to make a lot of money, so I could just retire and sit at the house. But I’m too bored. My mind is too much. I just want to be innovative. If the zombie apocalypse happens, I want to be able to build something or fix something.”
For now, he and Cunningham are being asked to fix the Eagles’ inside linebacker corps. Nakobe Dean is considered one starter, but the Eagles had been rotating Nicholas Morrow or Christian Elliss at the other spot. Neither has played particularly well, and there’s little depth behind them.
Jack and Cunningham, the Houston Texans’ second-round pick in 2017 who has also been released twice, have more than 1,200 tackles and 13 sacks combined.
They both knew that each would be signing, and they welcomed the challenge, knowing that one of them probably isn’t going to start. Jack saw some first-team reps next to Morrow both Tuesday and Wednesday, while Cunningham was with the second team.
Jack said it’s been a whirlwind.
“One week you’re on the couch playing ‘Call of Duty,’ the next week you’re playing with the Super Bowl (runners-up),” he said. “Time waits for nobody, and I’m just figuring it out as fast as (I can).”
Dean returned to practice Wednesday on a limited basis after missing the previous five days with an ankle injury.
“I feel like the best linebacker room we can have possible is the best for the team,” Jack said. “As much talent we can have, that’s the best. I feel like iron sharpens iron, so that’s going to bring the best out of everybody. Nobody wants to be on a bad team. I’ve been on bad teams before. So as much talent as you can have in the locker room, I don’t think that hurts anybody.”
Added Cunningham: “Being in the AFC South, we basically knew each other from playing against each other, so that was a crazy deal, both of us coming in at the same time.”
DeVonta Smith attends Henry Ruggs’ vehicular manslaughter sentencing
The Eagles excused wide receiver DeVonta Smith from practice Wednesday, citing personal reasons. It turned out Smith attended the vehicular manslaughter sentencing for former Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs in Las Vegas.
Photographs showed Smith in the Las Vegas courtroom as Ruggs was sentenced to at least three years for a car accident that caused the death of 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog. Ruggs was driving 156 mph and his blood-alcohol level was reportedly more than two times the legal limit.
Smith and Ruggs were college teammates and close friends at Alabama. Smith called Ruggs “my brother from another mother” back in November, 2021, shortly after the accident.
Minor scuffle in Eagles practice
Eagles left guard Landon Dickerson caused the ire of the defensive line when he blocked Derek Barnett from behind and to the ground during a play Wednesday. There was no flag on the play.
Barnett got up and pushed Dickerson. The two were quickly separated, but several defensive linemen were chirping at Dickerson from the sideline.
Neither of the combatants were available to the media, but left tackle Jordan Mailata downplayed the incident.
“That’s not a scuffle, come on, man,” Mailata said. “There’s nothing to it. They’re hugging in the locker room right now. Or I hope so.”
In addition, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman was seen getting on defensive coordinator Sean Desai for not having his substitutions ready during 11-on-11 team drills.
The Eagles are back at practice Thursday, the last before their first preseason game, on Saturday night against the Ravens in Baltimore.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
