[ad_1]
Reuben Frank and Dave Zangaro will bring back Stay-or-Go in 2024 and are looking to determine the future of every Eagles player on the roster.
We’ve already looked at quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, tight ends, inside offensive line, offensive tackles, specialists, defensive tackles, edge rushers, linebackers, and cornerbacks.
Finally: Safety.
reed blankenship
Lube: He’s not going anywhere, but like the other players I’ve written about so far in this series, he has to play better than he did in the second half of last season. I’ve seen Blankenship play at a high enough level — from 4 1/2 games last year when Chauncey Gardner-Johnson was injured, to about the Chiefs game last season — that I’ve seen him play at a high enough level. He is at a high enough level to know if he can become a good player. I expect Blankenship to be one of the starting pitchers in 2024, but I also hope that changes to the coaching staff and defense will benefit him. And it would help him, too, if the Eagles had a more consistent secondary overall. But he should be better than he was in the second half of the season.
Verdict: Remain
Dave: After a strong showing late in his rookie season, Blankenship became a full-time starter in his second year, but he clearly had his ups and downs. He ended up starting 15 games, recording 113 tackles, two TFLs, and four interceptions. Blankenship will likely be entering his third year as a starter, but the Eagles will need to find the right player to start next to him. It’s a little unclear what Blankenship’s ceiling will be in the NFL, but there’s no doubt he belongs in the league.
Verdict: Remain
sidney brown
Lube: Just as they were relieved to tentatively place Brown in the second safety spot opposite Blankenship, he suffered a torn ACL in the regular season finale against the Giants. A timetable for his return is unknown, but it’s hard to imagine he won’t miss several weeks of the regular season. Eventually he’ll come back and we’ll see where he fits, but overall he’s an impressive kid but certainly not a lock enough to be a long-term starter. isn’t it. Let’s just hope the injury doesn’t set him back too much, as the Eagles need all the help they can get at safety.
Verdict: Yes (to PUP)
Dave: It was very unfortunate that Brown tore his ACL in January. On locker-cleaning day, Brown said his goal is to be ready for training camp and Week 1, but that seems a little unlikely. Either way, Brown will be with the Eagles in 2024. It’s just a matter of whether he spends the season on the roster or the PUP list. Brown’s rookie season had some ups and downs, but gave some clear hints as to why the Eagles used a third-round pick to draft him. Brown appears to be a volatile player with the ability to make big plays, as seen with his 99-yard pick-six.
Verdict: Remain
Kevin Byard
Lube: Byard got off to an unremarkable start after the Eagles acquired him in October, but declined as the season progressed, ultimately resulting in a disappointing season considering his history. Byard is a functional veteran, but he’s set to turn 31 during training camp and is already trending in the wrong direction, and even if the Eagles decide to keep him (which they shouldn’t), they Salary that will have to dispose of his unwieldy 2024. All they need to acquire Byard is the Eagles’ Terrell Edmunds and a few late draft picks, so they aren’t obligated to keep him. They could do better. they have to do better.
Verdict: Agree
Dave: The Eagles tried to trade Byard at the deadline, but it didn’t work out. Of course, it’s worth noting that it’s hard to pin that on Byard, as nothing went right for the defense in the second half of the year. However, the former Pro Bowler didn’t make many big plays. The Eagles would save $13 million in cap space by cutting Byard, who has a base salary of $9.6 million in 2024, which seems like a no-brainer. It’s unfortunate that it didn’t work out, but it’s probably in everyone’s best interest for the teams to part ways and for the Eagles to find another starting safety next season.
Verdict: Agree
Justin Evans
Lube: Evans is as injury-prone as any player we’ve ever seen. He has appeared in exactly 19 games over the past five years, but played in just four games last season after winning the opening starting job. Even if he’s an elite player, you can’t rely on someone who rarely plays. And he’s not an elite athlete.
Verdict: Agree
Dave: Evans started four of the first five games of the season, then got injured and never returned. Evans returned to practice at one point in the middle of the season, but suffered a setback and spent the rest of the season on IR. The former second-round pick has been plagued by injuries throughout his NFL career, and despite being expected to overcome the injury with a solid 2022 season in New Orleans, he once again suffered injury symptoms in Philadelphia. I was visited. Evans was supposed to be a good fit for the Eagles last year, but he’s now set to be a 28-year-old free agent who can’t stay healthy. Unfortunately, the Eagles can’t rely on him and need to move forward.
Verdict: Agree
tristin mccallum
Lube: McCollum has decent size and performed well on special teams in three games as a member of the practice squad. His twin brother Zion was a starting corner for the Bucs, so he has that in his blood. However, I expect the Eagles to really restock the safety position this offseason, and McCollum will have a tough fight to get to 53 in camp. But we could definitely see him back on the practice squad.
Verdict: Agree
Dave: The 24-year-old defensive back appeared in three regular season games and a playoff game in Tampa as a promotion to the practice squad. This year, he played a total of 29 snaps on defense. He expects to be in camp for the game and will have a chance to return to the practice squad. But unless the Eagles decide to ignore the position completely this offseason, McCollum’s best bet is to return to the practice squad in 2024.
Verdict: Agree
Subscribe to Eagle Eye wherever you get your podcasts.
Apple Podcasts | YouTube Music | Spotify | Stitcher | Art19 | RSS | Watch on YouTube
[ad_2]
Source link
