Eagles' Solutions at Safety Are Free Agents Familiar with NFC East
PHILADELPHIA – It’s never easy to figure out what the New York Giants are doing, but that’s fine by the Philadelphia Eagles.
They released James Bradberry two years ago to help them become salary-cap compliant, and the Eagles claimed him. Bradberry became an All-Pro in his first year in Philly and helped it get to the Super Bowl.
Yes, the cornerback fell off the performance cliff last year, but there could be many reasons for that, and the Eagles could be hoping he returns to the form he showed in 2022 with a new, more experienced defensive coaching staff.
Now, the Giants couldn’t get a deal done with Xavier McKinney, and they decided not to put the franchise tag on him when the deadline came and went on Tuesday.
Seven players got tagged on Tuesday, the final day of the franchise tag period. Nine players overall were tagged during the 15-day tag period.
Three players were tagged in the process and may have been Eagles targets but are no longer available - cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, and safeties Antoine Winfield and Kyle Dugger, who had the transition tag placed on him, meaning other teams can still bid to sign him, and surrender draft picks, but his current team, the New England Patriots, have the right to match the offer.
Xavier McKinney
USA Today
McKinney, though, would be a perfect fit in Philly, like he is in New York but was, surprisingly, allowed to reach free agency. He will be expensive, perhaps something to the tune of three years for $35-40 million.
Another safety who knows his way around the NFC East is the Washinton Commanders' Kamren Curl.
Both players make plenty of sense, though the cost may be too prohibitive for both.
For far too long, the Eagles have piece-mealed the safety position. Not since the days when Rodney McLeod and Malcolm Jenkins roamed the back end have they had safety stability.
And the Eagles need safeties, probably two at minimum, especially after the not-so-surprising release of veteran Kevin Byard to bring their salary cap number to $41.9 million, the 11th-most money to spend in the league. Byard could still return at a lower salary depending on how his market develops.
The draft is not widely considered deep in safety talent and, besides, the Eagles spent a third-round pick on one last year when they took Sydney Brown.
McKinney, who doesn’t turn 25 until August, had a career year in 2023 and played a complete season after missing eight games in 2022 after nearly losing three fingers in an ATV accident during the Giants’ bye week.
A former second-round pick in 2020, from a school the Eagles have grown fond of in recent years – the University of Alabama - he is the kind of coverage safety that would fit perfectly in new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s scheme.
McKinney had a career-high 116 tackles last year, including 11 passes defended, and three interceptions.
Come out of the free-agent gates swinging right away when they open on Wednesday, after a three-day legal tampering period that begins on Sunday, give McKinney and/or Curl three-year deals and grow the safety position from there.
The Eagles already have two safety keepers in Reed Blankenship and Brown, who tore his ACL late in the year and may not be ready to play in the season opener in Brazil. They also have developmental safeties, Mekhi Garner and Tristin McCollum.
McKinney is a Day 1 starter and worth the investment. Kurl would be a key rotational player for Fangio, at minimum.
Like McKinney, Curl arrived in the league in 2020, although without the same expectation level since he came in the seventh round. He has since outplayed his draft status.
Curl has been a reliable defender, playing 60 games in his first four seasons. He had a career-high 115 tackles last year with three tackles for loss and three quarterback hits, and, as a rookie, intercepted three passes.
He won't cost as much as McKinney and could be signed to maybe one or two years at perhaps $8-10 million per.
Both players make too much sense for the Eagles not to have at least one, and perhaps both, at the top of their free-agent wish list.
