Has Jaquiski Tartt Done Enough to Make Eagles 53-Man Roster?
There was a time when Jaquiski Tartt looked like the final piece to the Eagles’ defensive puzzle.
Before the Eagles signed him on June 18, they had already added to the defensive line by drafting Jordan Davis, signed linebackers Haason Reddick and Kyzir White in free agency, and added James Bradberry at cornerback.
Safety was the lone level of defense that had not yet been addressed.
Then came Tartt, who is good friends with Bradberry after the two played together at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala., before both becoming second-round draft picks.
Tartt went in the 2015 draft, 42nd overall to the San Francisco 49ers. Bradberry went in 2016, 62nd overall to the Carolina Panthers.
Now, however, Tartt appears to be on the roster bubble as the Eagles decision-makers huddle at the NovaCare Complex, conversing about how to shape their 53-man roster. They have until 4 p.m. Tuesday to have it in place.
THE TRANSITION
Tartt’s transition from seven years in the Bay Area with the Niners has not gone as well as he and the decision-makers probably would have liked.
He is, though, a known commodity, a physical player, at 6-1, 215, who had 66 tackles last year.
“He’s fighting for a position and he's working every single day,” said head coach Nick Sirianni following the Eagles’ intrasquad practice at the training facilities of the Miami Dolphins.
“It was a great hit he had on the sideline against Cleveland (in the second preseason game). You see him in those drills. He had that one hit on the sideline, then he cleaned up a play on fourth down that got a good stop. You see some of the things of why you brought him here every time he steps on the field. I'm glad he's here and competing with the guys.”
TARTT'S TRAITS
Tartt, of course, is well known for taking ownership of dropping a potentially game-changing interception in the NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams last year. He spoke right after the game about it, and explained his reason why to Eagles reporters early in training camp.
“I wouldn’t say it was important (to do that), but it was like the elephant in the room,” he said. “It was one of those things that for me, I consider myself a playmaker and I feel like if you watch film, I’m a guy where my film matches up with any of the safeties you call the best in this league.
“So for me, that was my moment to make a play for my team, change the momentum of the game, and I dropped it. So, I knew that would be one of those things people point out that if Tartt makes that pick, they could’ve won or whatever they going to say. For me, personally, it’s how I had a chance to make a play for the team and I didn’t. It’s part of football.”
That kind of mentality can go a long way in a locker room, and Sirianni is all about connecting, so maybe that makes a is something the decision-makers ponder.
Something else to consider is 2017, when the Eagles signed safety Corey Graham, an 11-year vet, to a one-year deal. Graham struggled with a hamstring that summer, but eventually became the third safety on a Super Bowl championship team, posting two interceptions in the regular season.
It’s not easy to tell what snap counts may mean in a final preseason game, but Tartt played just 17 of them. He made four tackles, but his coverage was spotty.
Tartt missed several days during camp due to undisclosed personal reasons. Those same reasons forced him to miss the preseason opener against the New York Jets.
That missed time, combined with signing late, may have left him a bit behind in acclimating to Jonathan Gannon’s defensive schemes.
Of course, Steven Nelson was inserted as the starting cornerback right away after signing as a free agent on July 27 last summer.
The questions the decision-makers are no doubt wrangling with is how many safeties to keep and does Tartt factor into the equation.
Did he show enough to unseat someone like K’Von Wallace, a former fourth-round pick just two years ago?
On Aug. 24, Tartt tweeted: “When you know your worth…Stand on it!”
What that may mean, is anybody’s guess, but his Eagles fate will be known any hour now.
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
