Eagles offer second chances
A lot has happened over the last year for defensive tackle Derek Landri. Last Aug. 3, he signed a one-year contract with the Eagles, after having started all 16 games for Carolina in 2010.
Eagles offer second chances
A lot has happened over the last year for defensive tackle Derek Landri. Last Aug. 3, he signed a one-year contract with the Eagles, after having started all 16 games for Carolina in 2010.
Exactly a month later, the Eagles released him.
A long month after that, during which Landri was out of football, the Eagles re-signed him. And, despite missing four games, he still led the team in 2011 with 8 tackles for loss.
Now Landri is the projected opening-game starter since Mike Patterson is sidelined indefinitely following brain surgery.
“Any time you’re not wanted on the business side, it upsets you,” Landri said. “And you don’t want to be put in that situation again.”
Landri has no worries about getting cut this year. Oddly enough, he’s also not alone among Eagles defensive linemen who have been released previously.
Fellow starters Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins were both cut at one point in their careers, as were backup defensive linemen Antonio Dixon, Phillip Hunt, Cedric Thornton, and Frank Trotter.
Landri, Babin, and Jenkins are half of the six projected Eagles starters who were released in their careers, joining left guard Evan Mathis, fullback Stanley Havili, and, technically, Michael Vick, who was let go by Atlanta.
As the Lehigh portion of training camp winds down, it may be natural for borderline players to worry about getting cut. But Landri says that wasn’t his approach.
“I never thought about [getting released],” Landri said. “I just went out there every day and I worked as hard as I could, and did what the coaches taught.”
Landri needs a deal...best tackle we have
— oldBird- How long until the Eagles sign Chad Johsnon? 3...2...1...— Breaking Bad
- How long until the Eagles sign Chad Johsnon? 3...2...1...— Breaking Bad
- If they did not sign Plax,, why would they sign another nutcase??? Please.— Koons
- John - I see you have picked up the sloppy every other sentence is a paragraph writing style that is rampant with the others. I was hoping for the anti-Les/Paul/Marcus style of "reporting", but it seems that is the preferred style.— xlGmanlx
- agree with koons why would they sign chad when they could have had a much more taller bigger redzone target. if they didnt sign plax they have no kind of interest in ochocinco's headbutting self— defroe
- Clay Harbor is 6-3 with a 40 inch vertical. McNutt can also get up jumping 37" . Celek is 6-4. So they have a few big targets, just need to add the jump ball to the playbook. The Redskins have the smallest Dbacks in the nfl. The Giants and Cowboys are not exactly huge. This is a missing element that hurts the red zone scoring. DJax shouldnt be on the field inside the 5 yard line.— willbert31
- agreed — defroe
- Where are my comments ???— Delaware Doc
- who knows man this site is funny sometimes my comments go up automatically only to be taken down i guess for not being approved. if you attack other posters certain posters they delete your comments even unrelated comments this is why i changed my name because they kept deleting my comments purposely. then tomorrow the headline will read dont ask dumb questions bro. lol philly.com is unprofessional man send me an email telling me what i did dont just delete my comments. — defroe
- "Exactly a month later, the Eagles released him". That was so Andy could keep Laws on the roster, despite Laws being the far inferior player. Andy's drafting record means more to him than fielding the best team! We've seen it before and I'm sure we'll see it again this year. That being said, if Hunt, Thornton and D Johnson don't make this squad, there should be an investigation.
— cooperhawk - Cooperhawk: interesting point. I'm inclined to believe a coach wants his draft picks to make it, so you're right that they'll get more leeway. But I don't think it means more than fielding the best team. I'll throw it out there: would Reid keep a draft pick over another player if they were relatively comparable? With Reid, particularly this year, that's mighty risky.— John Roach
- @cooperhawk...If Thornton don't make the roster? What would be the point of keeping a 6th DT on the 53-man roster? You have Jenkins, Patterson, Landri, Dixon, and Cox all above him on the depth chart. I can see trying to retain him on the practice squad but not the active roster.— dusk2k3
I just don't think Mike is coming back to this team he gets released and finishes with some other team. Like they did Westbrook when his concussions became an issue. The YOUTH Movement continues.- I just don't think Mike is coming back to this team he gets released and finishes with some other team. Like they did Westbrook when his concussions became an issue. The YOUTH Movement continues.
