PHILADELPHIA -- Linebacker Emmanuel Acho, who started two games for the Philadelphia Eagles last season, signed with the team Monday.
Acho, who turns 25 Tuesday, takes the roster spot left open when rookie linebacker Jordan Hicks was placed on injured reserve with a torn pectoral muscle. Acho and Hicks both played college football at the University of Texas.
The Eagles acquired Acho from the Cleveland Browns in 2013 in exchange for running back Dion Lewis. Acho appeared in six games for the Eagles in 2013. He made the team last year as a reserve linebacker and played in a total of 14 games.
Eagles coach Chip Kelly made linebacker a priority in the offseason. He acquired Kiko Alonso from Buffalo in exchange for LeSean McCoy. He signed Brad Jones as a free agent. And he selected Hicks in the third round of the NFL draft.
The additions of Alonso, Jones and Hicks made Acho expendable. When he injured his thumb during the preseason, he was waived with an injury settlement by the Eagles.
All four of the Eagles’ primary inside linebackers have missed time with injuries this season. Alonso missed five games with a sprained knee, DeMeco Ryans missed two games with a groin injury and Mychal Kendricks missed three games with a hamstring pull. Hicks will miss the rest of the season with the pec injury.
