Philadelphia, PA -- (Sports Network) - The Philadelphia Eagles signed cornerback William James to a one-year contract on Tuesday.

James, formerly known as Will Peterson, was released by the New York Giants last May after playing in just two games during the 2005 season because of a back injury.

The injury prone James also missed 11 games during the 2003 season with a different back ailment.

The 27-year-old was originally drafted by the Giants in the third-round of the 2001 draft. He played in 51 games (39 starts) for New York and tallied 199 tackles and five interceptions during his five-year career with the team.

"William is someone that we have liked for a long time, going back to when I was in Miami when he was coming out in the draft," said Eagles general manager Tom Heckert. "We obviously know him very well from playing against him two times a year while he was with the Giants. Hes a really good cover corner who has good size and when healthy, he was a very productive player for the Giants. We feel very confident that he will help us in the near future."

The Eagles also released cornerback Dexter Wynn to make room for James on the 53-man roster.