Eagles Secondary Will Look Much Different

Malcolm Jenkins is gone. Just like that, 96 straight starts, virtually every snap in each of those games since arriving as a free agent from New Orleans in 2014…gone.

The Eagles decided on Tuesday not to pick up the veteran safety’s contract, making him a free agent.

Not long before the Jenkins’ decision broke, the Eagles signed cornerback Jalen Mills to a one-deal deal. Except Mills isn’t returning to the team that selected him in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL Draft to play cornerback. Per a report from ESPN’s Josina Anderson, the Eagles are converting Mills to safety.

As if that isn’t enough of a secondary shakeup on just the second day of NFL free agency, the team announced it has agreed to a two-year deal to bring back safety Rodney McLeod, which reportedly will pay him $6 million per year.

Mills and McLeod join defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway, who signed a one-year deal on Monday morning, and quarterback Nate Sudfeld, who singed a on-year contract on Tuesday monring, as four Eagles free agents returning to the team.

Two Eagles free agents who won’t be back are running back Jordan Howard and linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill, both of whom signed new deals with the Miami Dolphins on Tuesday.

A day earlier, Eagles free agent offensive lineman Halapoulivaati Vaitai signed a contract with the Detroit Lions.

None of those free-agent defections will leave behind the kind of impact Jenkins’ departure will.

Jenkins was one of the leaders in the Eagles’ locker room, a member of head coach Doug Pederson’s leadership council, and an active member of the community. On the field, he did a lot of everything, not just playing safety, but slot cornerback and sometimes linebacker, too.

After the season ended with a playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Jenkins said he wanted a new contract and would not report under the terms of his old deal, which had more year to run and was scheduled to pay him $7.6 million.

“I’m certain that things will work out however they’re supposed to,” said Jenkins when the team cleaned out its lockers on Jan. 6. “I feel like I’ve done everything I can. Those things tend to work themselves out.

“I’m not one to beg, I’m a very prideful person. I feel like what I put out there, what I put on tape, what I’ve given to this team is more than enough. I can’t do more. I feel good about that to go into the offseason knowing I’ll be fine.”

Jenkins, who is 32, missed just 96 snaps in six seasons, had 515 tackles, 32 for loss with 12 forced fumbles, 58 pass breakups, and 11 interceptions that included four pick-sixes. That is amazing production that could be difficult to replace, especially if Mills, who has never played safety in an NFL game, is the one doing the replacing.

Jenkins first made his feelings known about the disappointment with his contract last spring when he did not show up for the voluntary OTAs. He was at mandatory minicamp and all of training camp and said then that he and owner Jeffrey Lurie had a good understanding of the situation. Jenkins may have believed Lurie would do all he could to increase his salary in 2020.

It did not happen, and now Jenkins is gone.

Not the case with Mills or McLeod. They could be the starting safeties in new defensive backs coach Marquand Manuel’s secondary.

McLeod, who will turn 30 in June, initially joined the Eagles as a free agent from the Rams in 2016. Last year he had a career-high 108 tackles with two interceptions and two forced fumbles.

Meanwhile, the Eagles have yet to address the cornerback position.

Their in-house options are Sidney Jones, Rasul Douglas, Cre’Von LeBlanc, Avonte Maddox and Trevor Williams.

Perhaps Manuel likes what he has seen from this group. More likely, the moves to make this group better are still waiting to be made.

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