New To The Nest

PHILADELPHIA – Released by the Chicago Bears in late October, waiting on the right opportunity to present itself to him, Khari Blasingame reached out to his former Vanderbilt teammate for input.

He contacted Eagles linebacker Oren Burks.

When Blasingame had first hit the open market, there were practice squad opportunities. The six-year pro, however, was being selective, eyeing the ideal fit this late into the season.

Burks sold him on the locker room and culture.

“Just the opportunity,” he said of his decision to sign with the Eagles. “The role was expanding as far as fullback, opportunity to play. Just the team, the locker room.

“Oren is my guy, so I reached out to him. He said it’s a really good locker room with a good group of dudes. So, [it’s] an opportunity to come in and help a really good team win.”

GETTY IMAGES: Newly added FB Khari Blasingame could earn an elevation from the practice squad vs. Panthers.

For Blasingame, who has appeared in 66 games (21 starts), the acclimation period shouldn’t be as daunting as it might be for a younger player.

His goal is simple – get up to speed as fast as possible, learning the offense and special teams and being ready to play when his number is called.

In addition to joining a winning organization and thriving culture, Blasingame also has the game plan working in his favor as the Eagles appear intent on implementing a fullback into the offense.

The experiment began earlier this season with linebacker Ben VanSumeren, who played fullback at Michigan, exploiting VanSumeren’s athleticism and experience at the position.

Even with VanSumeren, who suffered a season-ending knee injury during last Friday’s practice, out of the lineup last Sunday in Baltimore, the Eagles deployed tight end Grant Calcaterra in that role.

But with Calcaterra now trending toward starting in place of an injured Dallas Goedert, it’s evident the team sought a contingency plan.

Blasingame, who would need to be elevated from the practice squad this week to play against the Panthers or signed to the 53-man roster, could potentially have an opportunity to lead block for the NFL’s leading rusher, Saquon Barkley.

He arrived at the NovaCare Complex on Wednesday in time to take the practice field wearing No. 48.

Blasingame said he was grateful for the warm welcome and willingness of teammates to show him around the – in his words – “maze of a building.”

Signing with the Eagles also gave Blasingame the opportunity to reconnect with another familiar face, wide receiver A.J. Brown, a former Titans teammate with whom he hadn’t kept in touch.

“When I got here today, I got a chance to see him and say what’s up,” Blasingame said. “We chopped it up like old times, so it was cool.”

– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.