The Eagles are in a tough position entering the 2020 offseason when it comes to their secondary. As much as the cornerbacks have been an Achilles heel for this defense, the safety position will be another key position where the Eagles have to gear their focus on. Although certain corners could become safeties for this defense, the fact of the matter is that there isn’t much depth when it comes to the back-end. There doesn’t even seem to be a known plan for what the Eagles want for the foreseeable future. Here’s an outlook on what the Eagles have at safety entering the 2020 offseason:
Malcolm Jenkins
The Captain. The hybrid safety who feels underpaid and is possibly overused. Jenkins has been an ironman for the Eagles, he’s played in every single game since arriving in Philly. He’s also played in 90% of the defensive snaps in his 6 years with the team. Imagine that. On a team plagued with injuries, Jenkins has stood tall in the midst of it all.
He’s been a vocal leader for not only the team but also the community. Unfortunately, he isn’t paid to his liking. Jenkins in his prime was definitely a top 5 safety in the league but his play lately doesn’t reflect that. However, he was still the heartbeat of the defense, and playing the entirety of last season with next to no guaranteed money while others across the league started to get their big paychecks may have left a sour taste.
The veteran posted pretty good numbers for a 32-year-old this season, with 8 pass deflections, 4 forced fumbles, 2.5 sacks, 9 QB hits, and 80 combined tackles. On the downside, Jenkins also finished with 0 interceptions which could be a bit alarming for a player in his position. Jenkins is under contract next season but has declared that he won’t play under his current agreement as he looks for a pay raise.
The Eagles have the cap space to accomodate this and have restructured in previous years, with Jenkins happily oobliging. It may finally be time for the team to do him a solid for a change, as they did with Brandon Graham last year. There’s no questioning Malcolm Jenkins deserves his worth….but will the Eagles be the team to give it to him?
Rodney McLeod
McLeod had a good rebound season after his season-ending ACL tear in 2018 against the Colts. McLeod finished the season with 74 combined tackles, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and 6 pass deflections. He also played in all 16 games this season as well as their playoff matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.
The former Ram will be a free agent this offseason but has expressed his desire to stay in Philly and it should be mutual. McLeod is only 29-years-old and still an efficient player at the safety spot. It is plausible that they both return, but there could be a situation where one of them decides to get their payday elsewhere. The Eagles have a huge decision to make in regards to which safety will get the biggest bag. Age and price may play a huge factor in deciding the fate of the Eagles safety spot, in that case, we could very well see McLeod back in 2020.
Rudy Ford
Ford was traded to the Eagles from the Arizona Cardinals. His value has mostly been in special teams as that’s where he spent most of his time. That’s why he was acquired to begin with however, after being used as a primary special teamer in Arizona.
As for defense, not much was seen of Ford in the ten games that he played for the team. He’s still under contract for the team at a fairly cheap price, but his value will be tested in training camp if the Eagles can’t come to an agreement with both of their starting safeties.
Marcus Epps
Epps was claimed by the Eagles after he was waived by the Minnesota Vikings. In 7 games with the Eagles, the rookie safety only recorded 5 tackles combined tackles, with four of them being solo hits. Unfortunately, you’ll remember Epps for the play who was burned by D.K. Metcalf in the final two minutes of the Seahawks playoff win over the Eagles. So with that said, hopefully, better times are ahead for the young safety.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
