Rebuilt Secondary Helping Lead Eagles' Charge to Top of NFC East

PHILADELPHIA – The year the Eagles won the Super Bowl, they forced 35 turnovers. Of those, 19 were interceptions.

In the four years since 2017, they forced 72. That may sound like a lot, but it was actually the fourth-fewest in the league over that span, ahead of only the Lions (63), Raiders (62), and Jaguars (62).

This year, they already have 14 forced turnovers, with nine of those interceptions from players in their rebuilt secondary.

Out went Rodney McLeod and Anthony Harris at safety.

In came Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps, who has been on the team since 2019, but only became a starter this season.

Out went Steven Nelson at cornerback.

In came James Bradberry.

Darius Slay is the lone holdover.

Slay and Gardner-Johnson lead the team with three interceptions each after CGJ picked off two Cooper Rush passes on Sunday and had one against Kyler Murray two weeks ago.

Bradberry has two picks, including one he returned 27 yards for a touchdown in his Eagles debut against the Lions.

Avonte Maddox has one.

“It’s been great for them boys because we had it, but we ain’t had it like this in a long time,” said Brandon Graham of the playmaking ability on the backend. “We stay healthy, we can do some great things. We just have to stay on the same page.”

GM Howie Roseman deserves a lot of credit for putting this secondary in place. It is one of the best in the league, if not the best, though the Bills could make a similar claim. No other team can.

It’s been the coaches, especially defensive passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson and assistant DB coach D.K. McDonald, who have gotten this unit to play well together without any visible growing pains.

Take Gardner-Johnson, for instance.

CGJ came in without having played much safety at all at the NFL level, yet he has become a reliable member of that group.

Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon said Roseman did a good job vetting Gardner-Johnson to see how he would fit not only in the defense but in the locker room.

“He's a guy that it wasn't very hard (to fit in) because he loves ball,” said Gannon. “Like that's what the whole premise of this thing is about is football character. Do guys love ball? They love to play. He does.

“So even though he might not be the same personality that James Bradberry is, James Bradberry loves ball. So does Chauncey. Of course, they're going to get along.

“…We said he probably talks a little bit more than some other guys and he dances a little bit more than some other guys on the practice field, but this guy loves ball, he loves to prepare and he loves to play.

"Bring him in. That's cool. He wants to wear his hair a certain way and dress a certain way and act a certain way. Does he love ball? Yeah. Love him. Bring him in. That's what he did. Ultimately the unit, they love guys that love ball.”

The secondary has been a big part of why the Eagles have the best turnover ratio by a wide margin at plus-12. The next closest team is at plus-4.

“Obviously we have really talented players,” said Gannon. “They're going to make a lot of plays that a lot of guys don't make or can make because they have a lot of talent. They take the film work and the coaching to the practice field, and it carries over to the game field. When they get chances to make plays, they make them. It's really helped our team.”

The downside is that three of the four starters in the secondary have expiring contracts, and that will make for some tough decisions down the road.

That bridge will be crossed in time, but right now, the foundation is in place to make a run at the 19 interceptions the Super Bowl championship team had. Maybe even the Super Bowl itself.

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.

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