When the Eagles cut down to 53, the names that jumped out to most people were the International Pathway prospects, defensive tackle Uar Bernard and edge rusher Joshua Weru. Inside the Jefferson Health Training Complex, though, the one that had Philadelphia sweating was a different rookie altogether: seventh-round edge rusher Keyshawn James-Newby.
That kind of reaction made sense once the roster math came into focus. James-Newby, 24, was trying to crack a deep edge group after the Eagles spent the offseason adding Jonathan Greenard, Arnold Ebiketie and A.J.
Epenesa, while also keeping Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt in the mix. Then a sprained right ankle wiped out seven practices, making an already tight path even narrower.
Even so, James-Newby flashed enough in limited action to stay on the radar. In the preseason finale against Cincinnati, he logged a sack and a quarterback hit. It still wasn’t enough to push him past the veterans in front of him, and Philadelphia waived him on Aug. 30 before signing him to the practice squad the next day after he cleared waivers.
The Eagles had reason to be nervous about losing him. They lost an NFL-high four players off the wire during the initial cut to 53, and the front office believed James-Newby could attract attention in a league that never stops hunting for pass rushers.
His profile made him easy to overlook at first glance. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds, he doesn’t fit the modern edge prototype, and that helped push him from possible Day 2 discussion all the way to pick No.
- But the Eagles weren’t buying on size.
They were buying production.
James-Newby’s path ran from Pocatello, Idaho, to Helena, Montana, where he became a football standout, then to Montana Tech, where he recorded nine sacks across two seasons and earned All-Frontier honors. From there he moved to Idaho and kept climbing: five sacks as a first-year Vandal, then 10.5 sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss and FCS All-America recognition in 2024. He finished his college run at New Mexico after following coach Jason Eck and led the Mountain West with nine sacks.
He also had a habit of entertaining reporters with the joke about riding horses to school in Idaho. On tape, though, there was nothing funny about how he rushed the passer.
James-Newby won with a quick first step, polished hand work and a motor that never seemed to let up. That formula worked from NAIA competition to the Big Sky and the Mountain West, and it was enough to make Philadelphia wonder whether it had found something worth protecting.
For now, he’s still on the practice squad, which means the risk isn’t gone. Another team can still take a shot if he’s left exposed.
And with Ebiketie or Epenesa not guaranteed to stay healthy and productive all year, the Eagles know exactly where James-Newby could fit if the need hits. If one of those veterans falters, don’t be surprised if the rookie Philadelphia was most worried about losing is the one it turns to next.
In Other News...
Howie Roseman May Have A Tough Eagles Deadline Call Ahead
The Eagles are already being sized up for how they might use the next trade deadline, and four names keep coming up as possible chips if Howie Roseman decides the roster needs another jolt. Kelee Ringo, Hollywood Brown, Dameon Bigsby, and Josh Smith each fit into a different part of the conversation, whether it is about current production, future role, or what another team might be willing to pay to get a look at them.
For Philadelphia, the appeal is familiar: turn a player with some market value into help elsewhere on the roster or a pick that can be cashed in later. None of that means a deal is imminent, and there have been no confirmed trades or official signals, but the speculation around those four players underscores the kind of deadline decision Roseman could face if the Eagles decide to be aggressive again. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Defense May Have Found Another Fangio Difference Maker
Joe Kasper has spent enough time around Vic Fangio to understand what makes the Eagles defensive operation feel different. As Philadelphias defensive passing game coordinator, Kasper talked about the value of staying locked into the job in front of him instead of spending energy plotting the next step, a mindset that fits neatly with the way Fangio runs a staff. He also pointed to Fangios willingness to keep evolving on defense, along with the day-to-day influence the veteran coach has had on his own development.
Kaspers comments offered another reminder that the Eagles are not just leaning on Fangio for scheme, but for the culture around it. His relationship with Fangio has given him a closer look at how the coach works, how he communicates, and how his approach filters through the staff. For a defense trying to keep sharpening its edge, that kind of mentorship can matter just as much as any diagram on a call sheet. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Are Still Waiting On Their Biggest Edge Rush Addition
The Eagles edge-rush plans were supposed to get a major lift this offseason when they brought in veteran Jonathan Greenard from Minnesota and locked him into a four-year contract. Instead, the new arrival has spent the spring and summer working his way back from injuries, first recovering from shoulder surgery and then dealing with a pec strain, leaving Philadelphia to wait on the player it envisioned as a difference-maker off the edge.
For now, the Eagles have kept their focus on the rest of the pass-rush group and have shown patience with Greenards timeline, knowing there is no point forcing the issue before he is ready. The expectation remains that once he gets fully healthy, he will become a key piece of the rotation, but until then Philadelphia is still operating without the biggest addition it made to that part of the defense. [Read more 🡒]