September 29, 2020
With TE Dallas Goedert headed to injured reserve, the Philadelphia Eagles signed an intriguing WR/TE in Hakeem Butler to their active roster from the Carolina Panthers' practice squad.
Butler was something of a "Draft Twitter" favorite leading up to the 2019 NFL Draft, as some analysts though there was a chance he could sneak into the first round. That didn't happen, as the Arizona Cardinals chose Butler with the first pick on Day 3 of the draft (in the fourth round). Many thought that was a steal, given Butler's college production (22.0 YPC his final year at Iowa State), his size, and his athletic measurables:
In Butler's rookie season in 2019, he made the Cardinals' 53-man roster, but did not appear in any games. In 2020, Butler was waived at final cutdowns, and the Panthers added him to their practice squad.
When the Eagles announced their signing of Butler, they called him a TE. Here's what that spider chart looks like with Butler as a TE. To note, he'll be a very skinny tight end.
As we noted prior to the 2019 draft, Butler's hands were inconsistent, and his route-running was concerning. He did have a fun highlight reel, though.
To be determined if the Eagles can get anything out of Butler. It's certainly a more fun signing than when they brought Richard Rodgers back for the 14th time.
Follow Jimmy & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @JimmyKempski | @thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports
Add Jimmy's RSS feed to your feed reader
