Cowboys Would Be Nightmare Option for Eagles' Reed Blankenship

There are a handful of pending free agents to watch for the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason.

Jaelan Phillips, Nakobe Dean and Dallas Goedert have gotten the most buzz so far this offseason. But, they aren't the only high-impact players heading to the open market. Another guy to watch for the Eagles this offseason is safety Reed Blankenship.

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Blankenship is just 26 years old and has spent his entire four-year career so far in Philadelphia. Blankenship is a key piece to the Eagles' defense and was a starter in Super Bowl LIX. Now, he's heading to the open market as well and there should be plenty of opportunities for him if he were to leave Philadelphia. Pro Football Focus pitched a nightmare option: Blankenship landing with the Dallas Cowboys.

The Eagles' defense could look a bit different in 2026

Nov 23, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Philadelphia Eagles safety Reed Blankenship (32) celebrates after an interception in the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

"Dallas Cowboys: S Reed Blankenship," Pro Football Focus' Bradley Locker wrote. "PFF Free Agent Rank: No. 69. The Cowboys’ main maneuver this offseason figures to be retaining star receiver George Pickens, but Dallas’ languid defense still needs major modifications. That includes in the secondary, where Donovan Wilson will be a free agent.

"Blankenship was ineffective in coverage last season with a 29.9 PFF coverage grade, but he still flashed with a 75.3 PFF run-defense grade. Additionally, his coverage grade before this season is a noticeably better 87.1. With Christian Parker coming in from Philadelphia as Dallas’ new defensive coordinator, several Eagles could join him — and the Cowboys could bank on a bounce-back season from the 26-year-old safety."

The safety room has dealt with some turnover over the last few seasons. There were questions about it ahead of the 2024 season, which is why CJ Gardner-Johnson was brought back to pair with Blankenship. Then, the Eagles moved on from Gardner-Johnson before the 2025 season. Rookie Andrew Mukuba stepped up, but got hurt. Marcus Epps and Sydney Brown played roles in 2025 as well.

If the Eagles were to lose Blankenship, that would be a significant hit to Philadelphia's defense, especially with uncertainty throughout the rest of the room. If the Eagles were to lose him to the Cowboys and then have to face him twice per season would be a worst-case scenario.

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