Eagles Acquire Defensive Tackle Hassan Ridgeway from Colts

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By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor

On day one, the Birds moved up in the first-round to grab offensive tackle Andre Dillard. On Friday, they selected running back Miles Sanders and receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside. While a trade back seemed to net the Eagles an additional draft selection, defensive end Shareef Miller and quarterback Clayton Thorson were the team’s only day-three selections.

Rather than pick a rookie in the seventh round, the Eagles and Howie Roseman worked out a deal that would get the team defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway from the Indianapolis Colts and send Frank Reich the 246th pick.

It is a move that resembles the one that Roseman made in the 2017 offseason when he acquired Tim Jernigan from the Ravens. Like Jernigan, Ridgeway joins the Eagles on the final year of his rookie deal. Unlike Jernigan, Ridgeway does not bill as a starter.

Ridgeway has started just six games of the 34 he has played in. He has 41 tackles, 10 quarterback hits and 4.5 sacks in his first three seasons.

Due to his billing as more of a role player than a starter, the Eagles may be looking ahead to signing Ridgeway to a longer-term deal that would not break the bank, but keep some depth and continuity for a few seasons after the potential departures of Vinny Curry and Tim Jernigan at the end of the season.

As with almost any addition to the Eagles defensive line, Ridgeway should see an uptick in his production playing alongside some elite players and being kept fresh through the use of a rotation, though the Colts defensive line has been known to use some rotation as well.

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