Eagles Trade for a Safety

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Eagles Trade for a Safety

Posted: October 23rd, 2023 | Author: Tommy Lawlor 

Playing safety for the Eagles this year has been dangerous. They have had injury after injury. I think being the drummer for Spinal Tap is actually safer. Howie Roseman has been talking to other teams in hoping of finding a veteran safety for his defense.

Job done.

This is a really good move for the Eagles. They have one good safety in Reed Blankenship. They hoped another player would emerge from Justin Evans, Terrell Edmunds or Sydney Brown. That hasn’t happened, for a variety of reasons. UDFA Mekhi Garner even got some snaps. He wasn’t the answer.

Howie Roseman worked the phones as he always does. There were multiple safeties available. The key was finding the right player for the right price. Byard is 30 and was on a struggling team. The Titans realized he wasn’t part of their future so why not trade him now.

Jimmy Bama has some contractual details on Byard.

Byard’s 2023 salary is only $4 million, some of which has already been paid by the Titans. He is also scheduled to make $9.6 million in 2024, and the Eagles will have the back half of the 2023 season to see if they want to keep him on their roster next season at that number. The trade compensation of a pair of later Day 3 picks and a safety in Edmunds — who the Eagles might’ve released to make room for Byard anyway — feels like a bargain, especially with the Titans taking on a cap hit in order to deal Byard.

This could be just a rental. Giving up Edmunds isn’t a big deal at all. He showed progress last night, but still struggled. He was awful a few weeks back. Giving up the two picks isn’t ideal for a rental, but this tells you the Eagles feel they have a Super Bowl contender. They would rather spend resources to add a proven veteran right now than hold onto picks that might or might not pan out in a year or two.

Byard is a Philly native and I’m sure he’s excited about coming home. He is a two-time All-Pro player. He has 27 career INTs. The Eagles know his best years are behind him, but safety is a spot where brains and instincts are more important than speed and athleticism. You can get by with a veteran safety and still get a good performance from him. Byard hasn’t been making plays this year. Part of that has to do with pressure. The Eagles have 55 QB hits this year. The Titans have 31. When QBs aren’t under pressure, they can shred defenses. QBs have a rating of 101.0 against Tennessee this year.

Is that because Byard is struggling?

Will playing behind a strong pass rush help Byard to start making plays?

I think you know which way the Eagles lean on this one. I think this is a really smart move. The Eagles add a guy they can plug into the defense. Byard isn’t a specialty player. He can play SS or FS. He can play in the box or back deep. He gives them flexibility. He’s also a smart veteran with 111 career starts.

Do you think he’ll fit in Philly?

Byard and Blankenship give the Eagles a pair of good safeties. Darius Slay and James Bradberry give the Eagles a pair of veteran corners. This is a more talented and more stable secondary. That will help Sean Desai’s defense to play even better.

It is wild that both Byard and Blankenship went to Middle Tennessee State. They were years apart, of course. Now they get to control the back end of the defense for the Eagles.

This takes pressure off the other safeties. Brown is a rookie and is still learning. Evans is banged up. He can add depth when he gets healthy. Garner is new to the position of safety so he’s got a ton to learn.

*****

Speaking of Desai, he’s getting a lot of credit for his gameplan from Sunday night.

To the victor go the spoils.

Desai deserves all the praise he is getting. Jonathan Gannon had his moments, but struggled any time he faced a good QB. Desai just went up against the hottest offense in years and shut them down. Gannon didn’t have a game like that in his two years with the Eagles. Desai had it in his second month.

I’m sure Desai will have some moments that have us screaming at him, but right now he is off to a great start.

*****

The Niners lost to the Vikings 22-17. SF has now lost two games in a row and is 5-2. So much for them being this unbeatable machine.

Detroit was the flavor of the month. They lost to the Ravens 38-6 on Sunday in a game that wasn’t even that close. Yikes. Detroit is still a good team, but that was an awful performance.

The Eagles are 6-1, with their only blemish a fluky game they lost to the Jets by six points.

As much as it will drive people crazy…the Eagles are still the best team in the NFC.

http://igglesblitz.com/2023/10/eagles-trade-for-safety/