The Philadelphia Eagles signed former Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Akeem Spence on Tuesday, to replace star tackle Malik Jackson, who was placed on injured reserve after suffering a Lisfranc foot sprain in the season opener.
Tim Jernigan is likely to assume the role of starter for the Eagles huge road contest against the Atlanta Falcons, Spence will likely slide to the 4th defensive tackle spot.
With Spence jumping into such a vital role so quickly, here are 3 things to know about the powerful defensive tackle.
1. Spence is from Florida and played college football at Illinois. At one point during his stint with the Illini, Spence formed a powerful front-line alongside former all-American and Chargers first-round pick, Corey Liuget. Spence left school early for the NFL draft and was selected in the fourth round by the Buccaneers.
2. Spence is strictly an inside guy, standing 6-foot-1, 303-pounds, he’ll eat up doubles teams in the running game, but he’ll be a huge dropoff in production when it comes to rushing the passer. Expect to see Spence on 2nd downs and obvious running situations.
3. During the 2017 NFL season, Spence, along with Kenny Stills and other Dolphins players, participated in the protest against social injustice during the national anthem in 2017. According to Spence, his father lost several job opportunities as a result of the backlash.
