The Philadelphia Eagles put the icing on the cake of their 2022 offseason yesterday by trading for Saints Safety, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. The move came on the back of months of audible cries from fans directed at Howie Roseman, who had previously left the safety position unattended. That all changed on Tuesday and the Eagles are now battle-ready.
Howie Roseman is a big fan of Chauncey Gardner-Johnson
The Eagles general manager spoke with reporters on Tuesday following the 53-man roster cutdown to explain the thought process behind the trade for Chauncey Gardner-Johnson.
Not that we were unhappy with our defensive backfield or our safety position, but we were looking for opportunities to get better. When we looked at New Orleans and the depth that they had on their roster, we thought maybe it would be a fit, and the conversations kind of came together here in the last 48 hours. Excited to add him.
How does CGJ fit the Eagles?
In terms of fit, Roseman is absolutely right. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson may have spent the bulk of his snaps in New Orleans working out of the slot, but his skillset embodies that of another former Saint, and former Eagle, Malcolm Jenkins. As versatile as he is chirpy, Gardner-Johnson is a vocal player who brings a lot of tenacity and athleticism to a secondary that arguably lost those sparks when Jenkins and Jalen Mills left the team. Nick Sirianni was asked his thoughts on Gardner-Johnson’s game and his response said it all:
Dangerous. Dangerous. You have to be careful with him, throwing the ball at him. He’s just been around the ball a ton in his career and making plays.
That trash talking, I know he gets the rap for that, but that’s part of his competitiveness, and I’d lie if I said I don’t trash talk a little bit and I didn’t when I played or whatever it is and like that and do it in practice to raise the level of competition, I think that’s just all a part of it. Guys trash talk all the time in here shooting baskets, out on the field.
But the first thing that comes into my mind is dangerous. I think he’s one of these guys, too, that when you have him on your team, I think it’s really — you might not like playing against him, but you’re really glad he’s on your team.
Nick Sirianni on Chauncey Gardner Johnson
The Eagles have placed a real focus on high-character players since the arrival of Nick Sirianni. Former team captains, notable leaders, and players who simply ‘love football’ are all considered traits just as important as the play fans see on the field.
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson might only be 24-years-old, but he’s wasted no time in making a name for himself and he’s now going into a defense coordinated by a renowned DB guru who has helped resurrect the careers of guys like Xavier Rhodes, and bring the best back out of corners such as Darius Slay. Getting him up to speed will be the immediate challenge, but regardless of how fast he hits the ground running, you’ll hear him every step of the way…and that was exactly the intention all along.
Photo by Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire
