Greg Ward has spent the better part of three years on the Eagles practice squad with the idea that he’d one day become an integral part of the offensive game plan.
Ward was cut or released by the Eagles six different times during his stint on the practice squad but after a litany of injuries at wide receiver, Ward has found himself in the role of starter in the slot.
The former Houston Cougars star quarterback had a career-high 61 receiving yards and was on the receiving end of the game-winning touchdown with under a minute to go as the Eagles beat the Redskins 37-27 to set up this Week 16 showdown with Dallas.
Ward now finds himself in the role of a go-to player in the slot for the Eagles and a guy that could potentially find himself in the role of starter for some team in 2020.
His Eagles teammates have seen his value, with Malcolm Jenkins staying after practice to work with Ward, while also politicking for his promotion earlier this season per NJ.com.
Ward signed with the Eagles as an undrafted rookie in 2017 but was never given a true chance to play until this season. According to Over The Cap, Ward is making the league minimum with a cap hit of $174,706 and is signed through next season at a modest $585,000, non-guaranteed salary.
The Eagles could once again move on from Ward this offseason at no penalty, but with Howie Roseman and company needing to get Carson Wentz weapons who can make some plays, Ward is a respectable candidate to man the slot for the Eagles in 2020 at discount.
Retaining Ward would allow the Eagles to focus on adding another playmaker via the draft while building the offense around Miles Sanders and the returning skill position players on offense.
Regardless of what the Eagles decide to do, Ward has shown that he can be a player in this league and he’ll use the final two weeks to audition for a bigger role in 2020.
Dethroning the Cowboys will be a great start.
[lawrence-related id=627712,627720,627707]
