The Philadelphia Eagles have officially ended the C.J. Uzomah era, as the veteran was cut early on Wednesday morning. The former fifth-round pick, who began his career with the Cincinnati Bengals, played the last two seasons with the New York Jets before signing a one-year, $1.38 million contract to join Philadelphia. Uzomah could not justify a roster position with the Eagles, joining a congested depth chart headed by Dallas Goedert, but he could find employment elsewhere.
Uzomah was a dependable tight end who could compete as a blocker and receiver when he was at the top of his game. Even while those days may be gone, the Auburn graduate may still contribute as a depth player in the appropriate offensive scheme.
Despite being cut by the Eagles, C.J. Uzomah will probably soon find employment with a team that needs more depth at the position. Though many teams may benefit from having a tight end, the Los Angeles Chargers and Carolina Panthers seem to make the most sense.
In one offseason, the Carolina Panthers had too many holes to fill. It makes sense that first-year Dave Canales concentrated on the wide receiver and offensive line, but he didn’t do anything to fix the tight end position. Ja’Tavion Sanders, a fourth-round choice, has some potential as a pass-catcher, but as a rookie, he most likely won’t play on three downs. Ian Thomas and Tommy Tremble are now vying for snaps, while C.J. Uzomah may easily be dismissed from the roster.
Despite his decline as a player, Uzomah, a former Eagle, can still have an impact on this depth chart. Ian Thomas is an active liability while Tommy Tremble is an average journeyman. Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen, and first-round pick Xavier Legette can handle the most of the pass-catching responsibilities, so Uzomah won’t need to be a standout in this situation. But the recently released veteran can offer some much-needed depth, and Uzomah might even act as Sanders’ mentor and acting coach.
Football is regarded as the ultimate team sport because no player can lead a team to victory on their own. When Justin Herbert shows up in Week 1, that theory will be tested. The Chargers lack a reliable pass-catcher to take the place of Mike Williams and Keenan Allen, despite head coach Jim Harbaugh adding first-round choice Joe Alt to bolster the offensive line. Although the Chargers’ dubious wide receiver room garners a lot of attention, the tight end situation is just as dire.
Although C.J. Uzomah won’t completely change this offense, he ought to be able to make the 53-man roster. His ability to function well as a blocker as well as a receiver will be very helpful to Harbaugh, an old-school coach who firmly believes in the importance of the run game.
