Eagles and defensive end Hunt agree to contract

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Friday, February 11, 2011
Posted: 12:50 p.m.Updated: 5:25 p.m.

By Reuben Frank
CSNPhilly.com

The Eagles have agreed to a three-year contract with CFL defensive end Phillip Hunt, who led the Canadian league this past season with 16 sacks while playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The 6-foot-1, 250-pound Hunt, who was at the University of Houston with Kevin Kolb, was undrafted out of college. He spent his rookie training camp with the Browns but was released in August of 2009 and surfaced in Winnipeg, where he had three sacks as a rookie and 16 this past season.

Hunt, who turned 25 three weeks ago, was the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year in 2008 after leading the conference with 14 sacks. He finished his college career with 34 sacks, including 10 12 as a junior, when he was also a first-team all-conference player. He also had 51 career tackles for loss, including 18 as a junior and 18 12 as a senior.

Other than Brandon Graham, who was a rookie this past year, the Eagles are relatively old at defensive end, with 32-year-old Juqua Parker and 28-year-old Trent Cole starting. Darryl Tapp is 26.

With Graham coming off December ACL surgery and his status unknown for the start of 2011, Hunt gives the Eagles a potential third or fourth defensive end with pro experience, although it was in another country.

Harbor has surgery
Eagles tight end Clay Harbor said he recently underwent sports hernia surgery and will be 100 percent for the start of offseason workoutsif there are any.

Harbor, whose playing time increased late in the season, said he played most of the season with the injury. He said it made him uncomfortable at times but wasnt very serious and didnt affect his play, although it was serious enough to require surgery.

When youre out there, you just put it out of your mind and go play, Harbor said. But when the season was over, the doctors thought it was best to get it taken care of.

Harbor said the procedure was performed by noted Drexel-based sports hernia specialist Dr. William Meyers, who also performed sports hernia procedures on Donovan McNabb, L.J. Smith, Kevin Curtis and other former Eagles.

Harbor caught nine passes for 72 yards, all in the Eagles final seven games. His first career NFL touchdown catch gave the Eagles an early 7-0 lead over the Vikings in their crucial late December game, which the Eagles eventually lost 24-14.

The usual recovery time from sports hernia surgery is four to eight weeks, and Harbor is already walking without favoring his surgically repaired leg.

Harbor and the other Eagles coming off injuries are still allowed to do their rehab at the NovaCare Complex, although that will end if the owners lock out the players when the current CBA expires on March 3.

E-mail Reuben Frank at rfrank@comcastsportsnet.com

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