Decision Looming on Malcolm Jenkins

The clock is ticking on the Eagles’ decision regarding Malcolm Jenkins.

The team has until the new league year begins on Wednesday to pick up Jenkins’ contract for 2020. If they do not, then the veteran safety will become a free agent.

Perhaps COVID-19 will buy them more time, though at this time the NFL is not planning on delaying the start of the new year due to the spread of a disease that has shuttered just about every sporting event imaginable.

More postponements came on Friday, with the Master’s golf tournament, usually held in early April, being postponed indefinitely and the running of the Boston Marathon, typically held in mid-April, pushed back until Sept. 14.

Jenkins is scheduled to make $7.6 million for the upcoming season, which is the final year of his contract. He said after the 2019 season ended that he wanted a new deal before he would report to any of the team’s offseason workouts, including training camp.

He has been nothing short of a warrior since coming over from the New Orleans Saints during free agency in 2014. He has made 96 straight starts since and has played virtually every snap in those games.

Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz utilizes Jenkins in a variety of ways, including in the slot and sometimes as a linebacker.

Jenkins is 32 but hasn’t shown any signs of really slowing down. Some may say last year was a bit of an off year, but Jenkins was still his reliable self and is one of the team’s leaders on defense.

The Eagles have really painted themselves into a corner at the safety position. In addition to Jenkins wanting a contract that gives him a raise, Rodney McLeod is scheduled to be a free agent.

If the team loses both players, now in their 30s, only Marcus Epps and Rudy Ford would remain at that position.

Last year, there were plenty of solid second-round safety options in the draft, and the Eagles had two second-round picks. They opted to address the offense with both and selected running back Miles Sanders and receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside in a span of just four picks.

Safeties still available after they took Arcega-Whiteside included Nasir Adderley, whose season ended due to injury after four games, Taylor Rapp and Juan Thornhill. Both Rapp and Thornhill had productive rookie seasons.

This year, the safety class has some good names in it, such as LSU’s Grant Delpit, Alabama’s Xavier McKinney, Lenoir-Rhyne’s Kyle Dugger and Minnesota’s Antoine Winfield, so maybe the Eagles don’t ignore the position this time around.

Add us as a preferred source on Google