When National Football League teams trimmed down their rosters to 75 players on Monday afternoon, a total of five players formerly members of the Philadelphia Eagles were cut.
They are as follows: Vince Young, Jabar Gaffney, Donte Stallworth, Omar Gaither, and Anthony Hargrove. A sixth, Trevor Laws, was placed on IR.
Young is the most famous roster cut. He had been signed by the Buffalo Bills after the 2011 season, where he was expected by many to serve as the backup quarterback to Ryan Fitzpatrick. But the Bills traded for veteran Tarvaris Jackson on Sunday, which signaled the end of the VY era in Buffalo.
The 29-year old quarterback and inventor of the Dream Team comment served as the Eagles’ backup quarterback last season, starting three games in place of Michael Vick. In those three games, he threw four touchdowns and nine interceptions, posting a 60.8 passer rating, all while becoming public enemy number one in Philadelphia.
Jabar Gaffney and Donte Stallworth were both cut by the New England Patriots. Gaffney was signed to a contract by the Eagles before 2006 but he was cut before the season. Stallworth was probably the best receiver on the Eagles in 2006, catching 38 passes for 725 yards and three touchdowns.
They became teammates on the 16-0 Patriots in 2007, then again on the 2011 Washington Redskins, and then again on the 2012 Patriots, where they were cut on the same day. They were officially teammates twice, and unofficially teammates in four seasons.
Linebacker Omar Gaither was released by the Houston Texans. A fifth round draft pick by the Eagles in 2006, Gaither played five seasons in Philadelphia before playing for the 2011 Carolina Panthers. I wouldn’t be surprised if his NFL career is over.
Defensive end Anthony Hargrove has played for the St. Louis Rams, Buffalo Bills, New Orleans Saints, and Seattle Seahawks. He was released on August 24th from the Green Bay Packers. His tenure in Philly includes training camp in 2011, where he played well but did not earn a roster spot. Even if he does sign with a team, he will miss the first eight games of the 2012 season while serving a suspension for his role in the Saints’ bounty scandal.
The final move involving a former Eagles player includes defensive tackle Trevor Laws, who was placed on injured reserve by the St. Louis Rams. Laws was drafted by the Eagles in the second round of the 2008 draft, but recorded just 57 tackles and five sacks in four seasons.
This article was written by Bryn Swartz, the top writer for the Philadelphia Eagles and a featured NFL columnist on Rant Sports. Bryn has written more than 1000 articles in less than two years as a member of Rant Sports. His blog, Eagles Central, was named the 2010 Ballhyped Sports Blog of the Year. To read a portfolio of Bryn’s best work, click here.
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