‘Persuading’ Pederson?

PHILADELPHIA (973espn.com) - Josh Huff week mercifully came to an end at the NovaCare Complex on Friday when Doug Pederson was forced to explain why he claimed the receiver would be on the field Sunday in North Jersey and 24 hours later, Howie Roseman took to the same podium to announce the embattled player was released.

The optics didn’t look great but the coach reminded everyone Friday that he left the door open to further discipline if the facts demanded it.

So, according to the coach, it was business as usual on Wednesday when Huff, who was arrested the day before for speeding across the Walt Whitman Bridge with marijuana and a gun in his vehicle, was on the practice field and by Thursday a final decision had been made by Pederson, Roseman, owner Jeffrey Lurie and team president Don Smolenski.

"You still go about your business and you still carry on and you are still gathering all the information that you want to gather, whether it be the police reports to talking with Mr. Lurie and Howie, because no decision was made on Wednesday, and therefore it's business as usual, and I even came out and said I expected him to play. But again, circumstances change," the coach explained.

Pederson also denied he wanted Huff to remain with the team and needed to be “persuaded" by those at the top of the NovaCare flowchart.

It’s now being sold as a unanimous decision and once made, Pederson informed his “leadership council.”

"My message to (the media) and to them was that there is actions, there's choices and there's consequences to our choices,” he said. “...I wanted them to know that this was a tough decision but one that was best for the organization."

On the field, the fleet-footed Bryce Treggs, claimed on waivers from the San Francisco 49ers at the final cutdown, will be active for the first time against the New York Giants and take a limited number of Huff's typical reps, a number at 29 percent through seven games. The rest will be split between the regular receivers, Jordan Matthews, Nelson Agholor and Dorial Green-Beckham, as well as the tight ends, and perhaps Darren Sproles.

On kickoff returns, Huff’s best friend on the team, Kenjon Barner, will share the duties with rookie Wendell Smallwood.

Meanwhile, on the injury front for Sunday’s game, starting left guard Allen Barbre was ruled out with a left hamstring strain as expected and linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill will miss his second consecutive contest with a right hamstring injury.

Veteran Stefen Wisniewski will start at LG for Barbre while rookie Isaac Seumalo will be active as the interior backup.

-John McMullen covers the Eagles and the NFL for 973espn.com. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen