Justin Evans, Sydney Brown both practice after missing Washington game

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Justin Evans, Sydney Brown both practice after missing Washington game

The Eagles got a couple of safeties back at practice on Wednesday afternoon.

By Reuben Frank, Eagles Insider • Published October 4, 2023

 

Defensive backs Justin Evans and Sydney Brown, who both missed the Eagles’ game against Washington with injuries, were both back on the practice field Wednesday for the Eagles’ first practice of the week.

Evans suffered a neck injury and Brown a hamstring injury in the Tampa game and neither played against Washington.

The Eagles list Evans as a full participant and Brown as limited. Evans was actually a full participant last Friday, which made it surprising he was inactive Sunday. Brown did not practice at all last week.

Evans started the first three games at safety and was replaced by Terrell Edmunds this past Sunday against the Commanders. Brown has only played 16 defensive snaps this year, but he had just moved into a prominent role in the slot against the Bucs when he got hurt.

Six Eagles defensive backs have missed time with injuries already this year, including Zech McPhearson, out for the year with an Achilles injury; Avonte Maddox, presumably out for the season with a torn pec; and Evans, Brown, Reed Blankenship and James Bradberry, who have each missed one game. Darius Slay is the only defensive back to start all four games so far.

Evans, the Bucs’ 2^nd-round pick in 2017, has 11 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in three games so far this year. He played in 135 of a possible 138 snaps the first two weeks of the season. 

Brown, the Eagles’ 3^rd-round pick this year, has three tackles in his limited action so far but is valuable because of his ability to play either safety or in the slot.

The Eagles have gone through a ton of slot corners – Maddox, McPhearson, Mario Goodrich, Brown and James Bradberry already. It remains to be seen how much – if any – Brown’s likely return to the field will enable the Eagles to move Bradberry back to his natural outside corner spot. Of Brown’s 16 defensive snaps this year, five were at safety and 11 in the slot.

If Evans and Brown return, Evans would most likely start at safety alongside Blankenship, with Slay and Josh Jobe at outside corner and Bradberry in the slot. Unless the Eagles are comfortable enough with Brown in the slot to start Slay and Bradberry outside.

Britain Covey also missed practice Wednesday after suffering a concussion Sunday, and defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu was out with a triceps injury. Cam Jurgens, who’s expected to miss multiple games, missed practice with his foot injury. And Fletcher Cox was out as he deals with a back issue.

Quez Watkins, who missed the last two games with a hamstring injury suffered in the Vikings game, was a full participant. He resumed practicing on a limited basis late last week.

The Eagles on Tuesday signed one-time 1^st-round pick Bradley Roby – a 31-year-old corner with slot ability – to their practice squad. He was out at practice Wednesday wearing No. 33 most recently worn by Josiah Scott.

https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/justin-evans-sydney-brown-both-practice-after-missing-washington-game/539195/

[UK_EaglesFan89]

Good! Depth at S is important!