Jonathan Gannon Addresses Saftey Concerns
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Marcus Epps was back at practice Thursday for the first of two joint sessions between the Eagles and Cleveland Browns.
That's the good news.
The bad news came back in South Philadelphia on Tuesday when the presumed first-year starter was forced to miss the final training camp practice at the NovaCare Complex with back soreness.
With no Epps available, defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon and secondary coach Dennard Wilson gave a trio of players opportunities opposite the other projected starter Anthony Harris.
The first was Josiah Scott, who had been working as the backup slot cornerback behind Avonte Maddox before beginning to cross train less than two weeks ago.
From there it was undrafted rookie Reed Blankenship, who recorded an interception against third-team QB Reid Sinnett, and K'Von Wallace, who started camp with first-team reps as Harris worked his way back from a bout of COVID-19 before falling back on the depth chart.
One player who surprisingly hasn't gotten any first-team looks through the entire camp to date is veteran Jaquiski Tartt, who signed late but has played a lot of football on a very good defense in San Francisco.
Gannon addressed the position in Berea, Ohio, before practice.
The current default setting is clear with Epps and Harris.
From there, however, things are murky and no one on the current depth chart can rest comfortably assuming a 53-man roster spot will be there for them on Aug. 30.
Heck, even Harris' status could be altered dramatically over the next two weeks if GM Howie Roseman decides to go outside the organization to address the position. The thought there being if Harris isn't the starter, he's not really a special teams option at this stage of his career.
A team source indicated that recent acquisition Ugo Amadi, although trained as safety in college at Oregon, is more of a slot/special teams player at this level.
Gannon admitted things weren't settled but also no-sold any potential worries.
"You'll see us continue to mix guys," the DC admitted. "I think they're doing a really good job. Excited to see them practice versus some other people now and be in there with different guys.
"We talked about the reasons for that. Excited to see what they're doing. I think the DB coaches are doing an excellent job with that room, and look forward to getting out here and having fun with those guys."
Marcus Epps (center) readies for joint practices with Browns in Berea, Ohio, on Thursday afternoon.
Ed Kracz/SI Fan Nation Eagles Today
Notoriously optimistic, Gannon made sure to note that Blankenship, a little-known signing from Middle Tennessee State, is now in the equation, along with the veteran commodities like Scott, Wallace, and Andre Chachere.
"He's very smart, he's instinctive, and has a unique skill set," said Gannon when discussing the UDFA. "When I say unique skill set, he's not a post safety or a box safety. He can do it all. He tackles and he processes fast, and he just needs some reps and time on task."
Gannon did admit it's a work in progress with Blankenship but the rookie's upside could win him a job.
"There are certain things, as a rookie, he hasn’t seen like some of the older vets have seen," he said. "I really like though that he's a guy that when he makes a mistake, he's not a repeat offender. From that, you know he's going to continue to keep progressing.
"I'm excited about Reed."
Gannon offered a bit of a contradictory view on Tartt, who hasn't done much to those on the outside looking in, working strictly with the second and sometimes third teams before having to miss time with a personal issue.
Gannon noted that Tartt "absolutely still has a role for us" before pivoting to "this will be a big two weeks for him," a clear indication that Tartt needs to show there is still gas left in the tank against the Browns and the Miami Dolphins next week.
However things shake out, the big concern with the Eagles' back end will be speed, especially against opposing offenses that can get vertical quickly.
Gannon explained that range can be bolstered by coaching and technique, however.
"That's ball skills and coverage ability," he said. "You'd like to be able to see when the ball goes up in the air and they're on that side of the field, if they can make a play on it, to make a play on it.
"But range, that comes in a lot of different forms. Depth equals range. You hear me say that. How deep are they? That gives them more range.
"Anticipation, timing, what their eyes are seeing and the coaching points of all those things within each coverage to be in the right position to have a chance to make certain plays on balls down the field."
-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Sports. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talker Jody McDonald, every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube.com and JAKIBSports.com. You can reach John at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
