New Eagles safety Trae Elston is in search of some stability.
In just a little over a year, Elston has gone from New Orleans, to Tampa Bay, to Cleveland, and made another stop in Buffalo. He played in the Bills' first two games of this season, but was released on Tuesday. Just one day later, the Eagles put in a claim and Elston was on the move again.
"It's going to hurt me a bit but you just have to move on and get over it," Elston said of his release from Buffalo. "I'm just trying to chase a dream."
Coming out of the University of Mississippi in 2016, Elston was a fairly heralded senior. He picked up All-SEC first-team honors and All-America second-team honors. Elston, however, went undrafted and signed with the Saints. Since then it's been hard for the 23-year-old to find his footing in the NFL.
"I just look at it as another opportunity and another team wants to take a chance on me," said Elston at the NovaCare Complex on Thursday. "I just take that as a blessing and just want to keep working."
There are a few familiar faces in the locker room. He and cornerback Ronald Darby were both Bills until Darby was traded in the second week of preseason. He's played against wide receivers Nelson Agholor and Bryce Treggs in high school, and battled against cornerback Jalen Mills in college. It was part of the reason Elston felt content after his first practice as an Eagle.
"I felt pretty good. All the guys are very welcoming. I think they really took me in and asked, 'If I need anything,'" Elston said. "That's the first thing I look for anyway in a team. See who's going to take you in and all these guys are pretty good guys."
As far as understanding the concepts, Elston thinks he'll be fine. He is focusing on the improving his craft. He has a notebook full of advice he's learned from all the veterans on each team.
"I think I'll be very quick to pick it up," Elston said about the team's defense. "I'm a very smart guy I think so just terminology-wise it'll be different but I think it'll be pretty easy because everything is basically the same concepts on most of the things.
"You've got some great guys over here - Malcolm Jenkins, Rod (safety Rodney McLeod), so it's some good players. I'm just trying to watch them and take all that in to help my progress in becoming a better player."
