The Philadelphia Eagles made a low-key move to improve on special teams this offseason, signing free agent wide receiver Avery Williams away from the Atlanta Falcons.
Williams has developed a strong reputation as a kickoff and punt returner, with over 1,800 combined return yards over his four-year career. The Eagles clearly saw value in Williams, who signed for just $1.2 million and can help take some of the burden off superstar cornerback Cooper DeJean, who ended up handling the majority of Philly’s punts in 2024.
For that reason, Williams is widely seen as a lock to make the Eagles’ initial 53-man roster entering training camp. The team hasn’t added much competition in the return game, and 94WIP’s Eliot Shorr-Parks believes that could change in the coming weeks.
Shorr-Parks urged the Eagles to bring in free agent running back Nyheim Hines, who ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported is looking for an opportunity after losing the past two seasons to a gruesome jet-ski accident.
“Eagles have an opening at kick returner and Hines has a 3-year history with (Nick) Sirianni,” Shorr-Parks wrote, referencing Sirianni’s history with the Indianapolis Colts, who selected Hines in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. “Wouldn’t be any guaranteed money but might be worth Eagles giving him a look in training camp.”
Hines, 28, hasn’t played an NFL game since the 2022 season. He was acquired by the Buffalo Bills at the trade deadline that year, and while he failed to carve out a significant role on offense, he single-handedly propelled Buffalo to a Week 18 win over the Patriots, returning a pair of kickoffs for touchdowns of 96 and 101 yards.
Sirianni was the offensive coordinator of the Colts when Hines caught 63 passes out of the backfield during the 2020 season. He would be highly unlikely to earn anything more than a spot on the practice squad this summer, but Philadelphia could be Hines’ best chance to earn a shot at resurrecting his career in 2025.
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