The Philadelphia Eagles hosted two recognizable free agents at the Jefferson Health Training Complex on a tryout basis on Wednesday, according to an official NFL personnel notice:
OT Evan Neal
EDGE Tyus Bowser
Let's sort through this news on a player-by-player basis.
Eagles fans will recognize Neal from his time with the New York Giants, which didn't go very well for either side after he was selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Between injuries and struggling whenever he was healthy, Neal made 27 starts in 29 games played for the G-Men from 2022 through 2024. There was a last-ditch effort to transition him from tackle to guard in 2025 but he ended up being a healthy scratch for most of the 2025 season.
The Giants finally cut Neal prior to the start of the 2026 regular season. The Alabama alumnus then spent a little over a month on the Las Vegas Raiders' practice squad before they released him last week.
It doesn't hurt for the Eagles to take a flyer on Neal, who turned 26 in September. Maybe there's some untapped potential here for this coaching staff to maximize (you might feel better about that much if Jeff Stoutland was still around).
More likely, he's just not going to pan out in the NFL. But, hey, you never know.
Bowser, 31, was originally selected by the Baltimore Ravens with a second-round pick (No. 47 overall) in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Making 28 starts over 98 career games played, he's logged 19.5 sacks, 22 tackles for loss, and 48 quarterback hits.
Bowser played for the Ravens from 2017-2023 before stints with the Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins in 2024. He did not play in the 2025 season.
The Eagles are currently thin at edge rusher. Jalyx Hunt missed Week 6 due to knee/ankle injuries and it's unclear if he'll play in Week 7. Jonathan Greenard looks to be less than 100% while dealing with an ankle injury. Nolan Smith suffered a concussion during the Eagles' last game. A.J. Epenesa did not play against the Carolina Panthers after being ruled doubtful with a back injury.
And so the Eagles were down to just Arnold Ebiketie and seventh-round rookie Keyshawn James-Newby as their top (and only) two edge rushers last weekend.
Signing Bowser would give the Eagles a veteran option to help fill some snaps in their edge rusher rotation.
