http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2562229
Veteran DT Jasper among 11 cuts made by Eagles
By
Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
Nine-year veteran defensive tackle
Ed Jasper, victimized by a well-stocked depth chart at a position where most teams lack quantity, was released by the
Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday as the club moved toward next week's roster limit of 75 players.
Philadelphia released 11 players in all, with Jasper the most notable among them, reducing the roster to 79 players. All teams must whittle their rosters to 75 players by next Tuesday, but the Eagles' coaches preferred to make the moves early.
The other players released included: wide receivers Jermaine Jamison,
Carl Ford and J.J. Outlaw; running back Marty Johnson; offensive tackles Dejuan Skinner and
Calvin Armstrong; cornerbacks Matt Clark and Brandon Pinderhughes; strong safety Scott Ware; and kicker E.J. Cochrane.
All of those players were either low-round draft choices or free agents.
Jasper, 33, had signed a one-year, $750,000 contract with the Eagles as an unrestricted free agent in the spring, as Philadelphia sought to add veteran depth. But the Eagles chose two tackles,
Brodrick Bunkley in the first round and
LaJuan Ramsey in the sixth, during the 2006 draft and that bumped Jasper, who began his NFL career in Philadelphia, well down the depth chart.
The Eagles have chosen tackles with their first-round choices in each of the last two seasons. Bunkley, who has been impressive despite missing the first two weeks of camp in a contract dispute, is battling to join 2005 first-rounder
Mike Patterson in the starting lineup. The veteran depth also includes
Darwin Walker and
Sam Rayburn.
"There are a lot of good, young tackles here," Jasper acknowledged. "They are going to be very strong players."
It's likely that the Eagles will be forced to release or perhaps trade at least one more tackle who will probably end up playing somewhere in the league. Given the need for tackles around the league, Jasper could draw some interest on the open market. Providing him a chance to catch on with another team is one reason Philadelphia released the popular Jasper now.
A former Texas A&M standout, Jasper played the first two seasons of his career with the Eagles, but was released following the 1998 campaign, and signed with the
Atlanta Falcons in 1999. Jasper became a starter with the Falcons and, for six seasons, was a stalwart performer on the team's defensive front and a strong leader in the locker room. But following the Falcons' disappointing loss at Philadelphia in the 2004 NFC title game, Jasper hinted at retirement, and Atlanta released him shortly thereafter.
Jasper signed a one-year deal with the Raiders in the spring of 2005, appeared in 15 games that season, and registered 24 tackles and two sacks, appearing mostly as the team's No. 3 tackle.
In 118 games, including 60 starts, Jasper has 247 tackles, 17 sacks, six forced fumbles and four recoveries.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.
Eagles Cut 11
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