Eagles Bring Back Defensive Tackle Aziz Shittu, Release Blake Countess

The Eagles released one-time sixth-round pick Blake Countess with an injury settlement on Tuesday morning and also brought back defensive tackle Aziz Shittu.

The Eagles drafted Countess in 2016 but released him with the intention of bringing him back on their practice squad, but he instead signed with the Rams and spent three years there, playing mainly on special teams.

He re-signed with the Eagles in May but was slowed in OTAs with a foot injury he suffered with the Rams late last season, and more recently has been out with a significant hamstring injury he suffered in the preseason opener against the Titans last Thursday. 

He hadn't practiced since and was expected to miss several weeks, according to the Eagles. 

Shittu, 25, initially joined the Eagles as an undrafted rookie out of Stanford just after the 2016 draft. He wound up spending the entire season on the practice squad, then spent all of the 2017 Super Bowl season on Injured Reserve. 

The 6-foot-2, 290-pound Shittu had two stints on the Cowboys' practice squad last year before getting released in April. He's been out of football since.

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With Countess gone, the Eagles still have a crowded safety group, with starters Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod, offseason pickup Andrew Sendejo, recently acquired Johnathan Cyprien and Tre Sullivan, Trae Elston and Deiondre' Hall.

The Eagles are banged up at defensive tackle, so Shittu gives them a healthy body for the rest of training camp.

Fletcher Cox hasn't practiced because of a lingering foot injury from last year, and offseason pickup Hassan Ridgeway is out with a concussion he suffered during the game Thursday night.

The current healthy group includes Tim Jernigan, Malik Jackson, Treyvon Hester, Bruce Hector and Kevin Wilkins along with Shittu.

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