Eagles sign former third-round pick from the 2020 NFL Draft

NFL free agency doesn’t begin until March but the Philadelphia Eagles made an addition to their roster on Wednesday. The Birds signed outside linebacker/edge rusher Julian Okwara, according to an official team announcement.

Okwara was available to be signed after finishing the 2023 season on the Detroit Lions’ practice squad. Most practice squad players sign a futures contract with their team in order to compete for a spot on the roster next season. In this case, it’s unclear if the Lions decided not to offer him a deal or if he wanted a fresh start with a new team. It’s possible both of those things are true.

Okwara has only ever played for the Lions since they selected him with a…