Larry Henry Jr
Howie Roseman continued to bolster the Philadelphia Eagles roster during this busy period of NFL Free Agency.
The team announced the respective signings of linebacker Jatavis Brown and safety Will Parks on Saturday, continuing what has been a busy week. Brown and Parks join the likes of former Lions CB Darius Slay on signed with the Eagles on Friday.
Brown signed a one-year deal with the Eagles, joining from the Los Angeles Chargers. A former fifth round selection in the 2016 NFL Draft, Brown started 23 games for the Chargers in four seasons. The Pro Football Writers Association also named Brown to its All-Rookie Team in 2016.
“He has versatility,” Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn said of Brown back in 2018. “He plays MIKE (middle), he plays WILL (weak side). He comes in and plays nickel; he plays dime. He knows the defense very well and we were very fortunate to have someone like him on our team when Denzel (Perryman) went down, and we could just plug a guy in.”
Standing at 5-feet-11, 221 lbs, Brown had a limited role for the Chargers late in the 2019 season. He can play in base and sub packages and improves the defensive speed at the linebacker corps. He should also fight for time at special teams and battle for playing time at a linebacker position that currently includes Duke Riley, Nathan Gerry, and T.J. Edwards.
Parks, a Philadelphia native, returns home on a one-year deal, joining from the Denver Broncos. A graduate of Germantown High School, Parks played his collegiate career at the University of Arizona.
The 25-year-old is a former sixth round pick back in 2016. He played 62 games for the AFC West team, registering 134 tackles, four interceptions, 13 passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and 15 special teams tackles in his first four NFL seasons. In 2019, Parks had 31 tackles in 14 games (seven starts) with a sack, two pass deflections, and a forced fumble.
Denver utilized Parks as a safety, dime linebacker, and nickel corner in the first year with Vic Fangio as the head coach in 2019.
“Will is versatile,” Fangio said of Parks during the 2019 season. “He can play safety as you’ve seen him do some for us. He can play the dime position, which is very similar to the nickel position. He does like playing football and he’s a good guy to have on your team. I enjoy being around him and I think everybody does.”