Brandon Hughes, one of six cornerbacks to make the Eagles' initial 53-man roster, found out that he was in the clear with a little help from PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Hughes' brother Robert was watching Eagles Live! when the news broke, so he called Brandon to break the good news.
"It's a huge honor and I'm excited for the opportunity," said Hughes. "I'm feeling great. It's a great sense of relief. I'm at a loss for words. I've been waiting for this moment for a while. That was my goal this entire offseason. It's my goal every year to first make a roster and now to have that opportunity to contribute to a team and to contribute to our overall goal which is to win a Super Bowl."
Hughes has been practicing as an inside cornerback for much of the preseason, so the Eagles' decision to part ways with veteran nickel cornerback Joselio Hanson is a direct reflection of their confidence in Hughes' ability to do the job as the team's dime cornerback immediately.
"Any time anyone shows confidence in you, it's great," said Hughes. "Joselio is a great player and for them to make a move like they did today, I don't know what the plans are yet and I guess I'll find that out on Monday, it does show that they have a lot of confidence in what I can do, what Trevard (Lindley) can do, what Curtis (Marsh) can do. So we'll see how that plays out but Joselio was a great player and it's a big deal when the general manager and the coaching staff goes out on a limb, and releases a guy for a younger guy like myself or Curtis or Trevard."
Hughes, however, knows that he can't rest easy. In fact, the former 2009 fifth-round pick of the San Diego Chargers made the initial cutdown-day 53-man roster for the Chargers last season before the team released him only two days later. From there, Hughes spent much of the 2010 season on the New York Giants practice squad before the Eagles signed him to their active roster in late November. Hughes knows that nothing is guaranteed.
"Every day is day-to-day, that's what you learn in this business," Hughes said. "If you approach the job like that, it's easier; you have more piece of mind. I approach every day as a day-to-day thing and it helps to keep me hungry."
