Joselio Hanson Flies Back to Eagles

Added on Sep 07, 2011 by Scott in

NFL

The Philadelphia Eagles have no shortage of elite cornerbacks, so it came as no surprise when the team released veteran Joselio Hanson during final cuts last Saturday. Hanson was expected to be quickly scooped up by a defensive back-needy team, but in a somewhat puzzling turn of events, he’s back with the Eagles after signing a two-year contract.

The 30-year-old has spent the last five years wearing midnight green and has a reputation of being one of the best nickel corners in the league, specializing as a slot defender. In eight professional seasons, he has recorded 229 tackles, 3.5 sacks and four interceptions. In 2010, he yielded only 4.4 yards per pass, which was second-best among corners targeted a minimum of 40 times.

To make room for Hanson, Trevard Lindley, a fourth-round pick a year ago, was handed his walking papers. Lindley was highly regarded coming out of Kentucky and displayed potential as a rookie, but a disappointing preseason made him expendable.

A shortened offseason has shrunk the window to evaluate young players, so veterans like Hanson are coveted, especially by teams with Super Bowl aspirations like the Birds. Hanson rejoins a secondary that boasts Pro Bowlers Asante Samuel, Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

The intriguing part of this development is that Hanson didn’t sign elsewhere. According to head coach Andy Reid, there was no deal in place to bring him back prior to his dismissal. Teams like the Giants, Lions and Cardinals have seen their secondaries ravaged by injuries, so adding a player of Hanson’s caliber made perfect sense. Either he was waiting for the right opportunity or didn’t receive as much interest as league pundits predicted.

Whatever the case, the Eagles saved precious cap space by cutting ties with Hanson and bringing him back at a reduced rate. They open the 2011 season in St. Louis on Sunday.

Source: Pro football Weekly