McDougle is back in the mix for Eagles

By John McMullen  |   Wednesday, August 27, 2008  |  Comments( 5 )

Philadelphia Eagles
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans!

Before training camp started, the Philadelphia Eagles' Jerome McDougle had turned from former first-round draft choice into a player used for nothing more than limiting the reps of fellow defensive ends Victor Abiamiri and Chris Clemons.

That's what happens when you play in just 33 games during your first five seasons and miss two of the last three years with injuries.

McDougle's Philadelphia story is worthy of a Lifetime Movie of the Week on hard luck.

The Miami product was plagued by injuries in the 2003 and 2004 seasons. In the final 2003 preseason game, he sustained ankle, knee and hip injuries against the New York Jets, forcing him to miss eight games during his rookie campaign. In 2004, McDougle was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat and later suffered a knee sprain against the Dallas Cowboys, forcing the Eagles to shut him down for the final four games of that season.

Things only got worse from there. On July 28, 2005, just four days before McDougle was scheduled to arrive for camp, the Pompano Beach, Fla., native was shot in the abdomen during an apparent robbery attempt in Miami. McDougle was flown by helicopter to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery.

Initial reports had McDougle recovering quickly enough to play for the Eagles in 2005. However, further complications from the shooting and surgery left him out for that entire season.

McDougle gave it another try in 2006 and was playing well in the preseason before fracturing two ribs in a training camp practice. The bad luck continued to pile up from there as McDougle suffered another season-ending injury during the Eagles' exhibition opener against the Baltimore Ravens last summer.

Add all that up and it's not hard to understand why head coach Andy Reid and defensive coordinator Jim Johnson were looking to move one.

Problem is, McDougle -- who recorded a sack, three hurries and a tackle for a loss in the Eagles' 27-17 win over New England last week -- is making it hard for anyone to forget him.

Meanwhile, Abiamiri is recovering from wrist surgery that will keep him on the sidelines for a significant period of time, while ex-Raider standout Clemons has been a bit of a bust since signing a five-year deal with the Eagles in March that included a $4 million signing bonus.

A natural pass rusher, Clemons has spent most of the preseason in the tub. He was hospitalized for dehydration early in camp and subsequently suffered a calf injury and has missed the last two preseason games.

Johnson said Monday that Abiamiri is recovering quickly enough and will not need to be placed on injured reserve and miss the season. That leaves the Eagles with seven defensive ends competing for six jobs heading into the final preseason game.

Abiamiri, Pro Bowler Trent Cole, Juqua Parker and veteran Darren Howard figure to be locks.

That leaves Clemons, McDougle and rookie Bryan Smith in competition for the last two spots.

McDougle has clearly been the most impressive to this point, but the Eagles may have a tough time forgetting his history.

Training Camp: An entirely new kind of fantasy game!
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans! (5)

About John McMullen

John is the managing editor of The Phanatic Magazine, the assistant managing editor of The Sports Network and the co-host of the highly rated 'Johns on Sports' radio show on WTBQ in New York. Every Saturday from 6:30-9 p.m. (et) you can hear John along with his co-host, John Gottlieb, talk to the ...
read more
Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report