Falcons Poaching Philadelphia Eagles Defender

FLOWERY BRANCH – The Atlanta Falcons are reportedly poaching cornerback Robert Longerbeam from the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad and adding them to their 53-man roster. NFL insider Mike Garafolo was the first to report the news on Tuesday. 

The team will announce the move officially when they make their corresponding move. 

This news comes on the heels of the Falcons' announcement that A.J. Terrell Jr. will be placed on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least the next four weeks. Veteran C.J. Henderson will be the primary replacement for Atlanta’s top cornerback opposite Mike Hughes, but Longerbeam will provide some important depth in the secondary. 

Longerbeam, 25, was a five-year contributor with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, earning a pair of All-Big 10 honorable mentions. He appeared in 53 games, accounting for 154 combined tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 37 passes defended, five interceptions, and five forced fumbles. He was a team captain as a fifth-year senior. 

The Baltimore Ravens selected him in the sixth round (No. 212 overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft, but he battled a knee injury as a rookie and did not appear in a game after landing on injured reserve. Longerbeam was waived after training camp this summer, and the Eagles signed him to their practice squad. 

The 5-foot-11, 174-pound cornerback lacks prototypical size, but he has some good physicality, athleticism, and ball skills. With those traits, Longerbeam could move inside to the nickel position for the Falcons. According to Pro Football Focus, he had a strong preseason performance, allowing an 84.2 passer rating when targeted and finishing as the Ravens’ third-best defender in coverage. 

In Atlanta, he is unlikely to make an appearance in Week 3 – since the Falcons travel to Green Bay on Wednesday for a Thursday Night Football showdown with the Packers – but he will join rookie Avieon Terrell, Billy Bowman Jr., Mike Ford Jr., Sydney Brown, and rookie undrafted free agent Malcom Dewalt IV. 

The Falcons are not unfamiliar with losing players from their practice squad, either. Earlier this season, they lost running back Tyler Goodson to the Dallas Cowboys, but now they’re returning the favor to a different NFC East franchise. 

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