The Eagles tweaked the roster prior to the preseason opener against the Steelers by announcing that they signed defensive tackle John Gill. The transaction actually took place Monday night, so Gill was at Wednesday's walk thru sporting jersey number 77. To make room on the roster, fullback Jeremy Stewart was waived.
The 6-3, 302-pound Gill was originally signed by the Detroit Lions as a rookie free agent out of Northwestern in 2009. He was released during the preseason and quickly landed with the Indianapolis Colts. He played for two games with the Colts in his rookie season. Gill spent the 2010 season on the Colts' reserve/non-football illness list due to his battle with alcoholism. He spent the 2011 preseason with the Colts, but was released at the final roster cutdown.
At Northwestern, Hill earned All-Big Ten honorable mention accolades. He started in 42 of his 48 career games and finished with 160 tackles and 23 tackles for loss. He added 10 sacks, which ranked ninth on the school's all-time list. His Northwestern bio compared him to Luis Castillo and Barry Cofield for his combination of speed, quickness and size.
Make sure to follow us on Twitter @EaglesInsider
