Eagles at Safety: 2 Sources Question ‘Scheme Fit’ in New Moves

When the Eagles signed safety Justin Evans, a starting-level player earlier in his career with Tampa, a league source quickly noted that the organization wasn’t done at the position. Sure enough, Terrell Edmunds, a five-year starter in Pittsburgh, was also brought on board three days later.

While there were no bold declarations affirming more to come after Edmunds agreed to put pen to paper, the deals, one-year and $1.6 million for Evans, and one year at $1.94M for Edmunds, indicate Philadelphia’s 2023 plans are hardly cemented at the position after losing both of last season’s starters, Marcus Epps and C.J. Gardner-Johnson, in free agency.

If new defensive coordinator Sean Desai was forced to line up in early April the betting favorites at safety would be Reed Blankenship, a 2022 undrafted free agent who impressed when forced into action due to injury, and Edmunds, who started 75 games for the Steelers on what was typically a solid defense.

The Eagles’ defensive philosophy isn’t expected to change much under Desai, who is a disciple of the Vic Fangio-inspired system former DC Jonathan Gannon implemented.

While not particularly exciting or popular among the fan base, the results were there in 2022-23 with the Eagles finishing No. 2 in total defense and No. 1 in passing defense while amassing a franchise record 70 sacks and becoming the first team in NFL with four players in double-digits when it came to getting to the quarterback.

In the scheme, the safeties are designated as left and right and the free or strong designations are not even used. The goal is to disguise coverages pre-snap as much as possible before spinning off into matchup zones that range from the default quarters coverage to everything from Cover-2 to Cover-8.

Any hope for drastic change has been downplayed by Nick Sirianni on multiple occasions.

“Obviously Sean was the best guy for the job but also there wasn’t going to be a lot of change as far as the base part of the defense,” the head coach admitted.

“I think a lot of the things that Sean wants to do are things that JG wants to do,” GM Howie Roseman added. “I think there’s a lot of carryover from those positions. I don’t think it’s dramatic.”

Any change is going to be in the moment with situational football where Desai may have a different feel than Gannon.

“The player profile, the traits that we’re looking for are similar,” said Sirianni.

So why is Edmunds, a true box safety with the Steelers while Minkah Fitzpatrick handled center field, even in Philadelphia?

“Yeah, that was a bit of a surprise to me. Wouldn't have guessed that just based on scheme fit,” a former Eagles scouting executive told SI.com’s Eagles Today when asked about the Edmunds signing.

“You’re never going to get everything you want,” a former NFL head coach countered. “That’s your job [as a coach]. To make the most of what you have in the moment while searching for the players that fit where you ultimately want to go.”

Gannon went through that in his first season with the Eagles when he often had to shelve his 50 fronts because his top overhang player was Genard Avery and there was no natural zero- or one-technique on the roster.

When that turned into Hassan Reddick and Jordan Davis/Linval Joseph in Year 2, the full scope of the fronts Gannon wanted to use came into play.

The one plug-and-play option that could be a fit at safety in the draft is Alabama defensive back Brian Branch at No. 30 overall, described that way for a reason because he’s got the versatility to move from safety to slot cornerback the kind of mirrored versatility Gannon had with CJGJ and Avonte Maddox, and also tried to create down the roster as well with backups like Josiah Scott and Andre Chachere.

As far as who is secured at the moment Evans fits that description better than Edmunds after being cross-trained in the slot last season with New Orleans but the real answers at safety probably aren't in Philadelphia just yet and may not be until 2024 or beyond.

-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Sports. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen