Eagles linebacker Davion Taylor after his release: ‘I need to look in the mirror’
The Eagles' third-round draft pick in 2020 discusses the team's decision to waive him ahead of the season opener.
Davion Taylor saw what his coaches and, well, most anyone who was focused on the third-year linebacker saw in the Eagles’ second preseason game.
“The Browns game I felt like was one of the worst games of my career,” Taylor said on Wednesday. “I let one bad play trigger a bunch of other bad plays. As a pro, that’s something you shouldn’t do.”
Taylor improved his performance in the preseason finale against the Dolphins, but only marginally. He made the initial 53-man roster on Aug. 30, but when the Eagles needed a roster spot after claiming quarterback Ian Book off waivers a day later, he was waived.
» READ MORE: Eagles waive former third-round pick Davion Taylor; Anthony Harris headlines practice squad
“I was disappointed at first. Now I had to learn to accept it,” said Taylor, who was re-signed to the practice squad last Thursday. “I looked back at my film from the preseason, and I understand why they did it. It was a business move.
“I’m happy to be back in the same playbook so if my name is called, I’ll be ready.”
The Eagles had an open roster spot as of Wednesday afternoon, so there’s a chance he’s called up for Sunday’s opener at Detroit. A returner or offensive lineman is more likely to be promoted, even if there will be only four inside linebackers available.
Taylor was deemed a project immediately after the Eagles selected him in the third round of the 2020 draft. The Colorado product came late to football but ran a sub-4.5-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine and the Eagles took a gamble.
He played sparingly on defense as a rookie, more in his sophomore season, and even forced a game-turning fumble in the win against the Broncos last season. But Taylor was often inconsistent, and injuries plagued his first two seasons.
» READ MORE: What we learned from Eagles-Browns: Davion Taylor and defense struggle
He was mostly healthy throughout this summer’s training camp and didn’t make any glaring mistakes in the preseason opener. But he missed tackles, took odd angles, and seemingly played without confidence in the final two games.
“They had expectations for me this preseason, and I didn’t meet them,” Taylor said when asked what message he received from his coaches.
Taylor and Christian Elliss are the only off-ball linebackers on the Eagles’ 16-man practice squad. If one of the four inside linebackers on the 53-man roster — starters T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White and reserves Nakobe Dean and Shaun Bradley — was to go down, Taylor could find himself back in the lineup.
“I need to look in the mirror, see what I did wrong,” Taylor said, “and come back a better player.”
Inquirer Eagles beat reporters EJ Smith and Josh Tolentino preview the team’s season opener against the Detroit Lions. Watch at Inquirer.com/EaglesGameday