Eagles Transactions: Birds Claim DE Charles Harris As Brandon Graham Hits IR

The Eagles were hit with bad news during their win over the Rams Sunday night.

Not soon after the game ended, Eagles legend Brandon Graham told reporters his season was over.

On Wednesday, the team took the first step to making that official by placing the veteran defender on IR.

We have claimed DE Charles Harris from the Carolina Panthers, signed DE KJ Henry to the Practice Squad, and released DT Siaki Ika and WR Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint from the Practice Squad. We have also placed DE Brandon Graham on Injured Reserve. pic.twitter.com/OAEzHg6NxK

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) November 26, 2024

In conjunction with the move, the team claimed Charles Harris from the Panthers.

The Birds are hoping to luck into a replacement here as Harris was waived on Tuesday.

For a not-so-good Carolina team, he was reasonably productive recording 15 tackles and three sacks. The Panthers got back one of their other edge rushers from injury, however, and opted to waive Harris to take a shot on a young corner since they are building for future seasons.

For the Eagles, that means they are getting a player who has some production on the season and is already in playing shape to try out and see if he can effectively join their rotation. While he appeared in nine games for the Panthers and 60% or more of defensive snaps for seven of them, he shouldn’t be seeing that many snaps with the Eagles.

The 2017 first-round pick of the Dolphins is widely considered a bust due to that high draft position, but he’s shown some abilities in a role more like the Eagles will need in the past.

With Atlanta in 2020 was probably closer to what the Eagles may be looking to use him for rotationally, and he recorded 18 tackles and three sacks (two batted passes) in just 13 games playing around 30-40% of defensive snaps per game. He also had a monster 65-tackle, 7.5 sack season in 2021 with the Lions that made him a big talking point for outlets like PFF going into the 2022 season, but he played most of the snaps for the team that year.

The Eagles will have to see if reducing the snaps he has to play will help him remain fresh and productive. You’re not going to just replace Brandon Graham, but if he can produce at the level he has with Carolina in more limited snaps or how he did with Atlanta, that could go a long way to easing the loss of on-field production.

He figures to join a rotation of Josh Sweat, Nolan Smith (who has been coming on a bit more recently) and rookie Jalyx Hunt.

The team also has the option to try guys like Milton Williams outside a bit more and look at getting players like Thomas Booker or Moro Ojomo more snaps inside.

Edge rusher Tarron Jackson remains on the practice squad and KJ Henry joins the team now as they signed him to the squad in place of Siaki Ika.

Ika rejoined the team a week ago, but was released once again.

Henry’s signing was reported Tuesday but became official today. A fifth-round pick of the Commanders just last year, he’s already spent time in DC, Dallas and Cincinnati. He played mostly special teams with Dallas this season before being release four days ago.

With the Commanders last season, he took on a rotational role for the defense over the last seven games of the season as the Commanders needed bodies. He was reasonably productive with 14 tackles and 1.5 sacks in the rotational role as a rookie for less than half a season’s worth of games. The Eagles will see if he can develop more and be valuable depth for the team.

Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint was also released. The receiver had been with the team’s practice squad since the initial iteration was put together back in August.