Two-time Olympic skier and Eagles fifth-round draft pick Jeremy Bloom agreed to terms on a four-year contract with Philadelphia, his agent said Tuesday.
“He’s going to sign the deal within the next 24 hours,” Gary Wichard said.
A speedy but undersized player – he’s listed at 5-feet-9 and 172 pounds – Bloom was a budding star in college with Colorado before his football career was put on hold. In the fall of 2004, the NCAA ruled that because he accepted endorsements to keep his equally successful career as a skier on track, Bloom couldn’t be eligible for the football team.
The Eagles hope Bloom will upgrade their special teams and wide receiver corps. Bloom, the 147th overall selection, had 24 receptions for an average of 19.1 yards per catch in two seasons at Colorado. He returned 47 punts at 13.5 yards per return and 25 kickoffs at 25.1 yards per return. He had five touchdowns of 75 yards or more.
Wichard said Bloom, a graduate of Loveland High School, has been working out in Arizona with Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb.
After returning from a sixth-place finish at the Turin Olympics in February, Bloom ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine.
Cardinals: Arizona signed second-round draft pick Deuce Lutui, an offensive lineman out of Southern California, to a four-year contract.
The Cardinals have had their share of holdouts over the years, but Lutui said he was anxious to reach agreement with the team he cheered while growing up in nearby Mesa, Ariz.
“It’s something I discussed with my agent (Max Hanneman), that I wanted to play right away and make my mark on the field,” Lutui said.
Three of the Cardinals’ top four picks remain unsigned – quarterback Matt Leinart of USC, their first-round selection; tight end Leonard Pope of Georgia, a third-rounder; and defensive tackle Gabe Watson of Michigan, a fourth-round choice. The Cardinals report to their Flagstaff, Ariz., training camp July 30.
Packers: Green Bay signed safety Tyrone Culver, a sixth-round draft pick.
He is the third Packers draft pick to sign, following defensive end Dave Tollefson and defensive tackle Johnny Jolly.
Culver was a first-team All-Western Athletic Conference selection at Fresno State.
