Gardner-Johnson shows off versatility, confidence in return

[time2rock]

Gardner-Johnson shows off versatility, confidence in return

 

It’s nice to see that a month away didn’t change C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

The Eagles’ braggadocios starting safety returned to action in time for Sunday’s 22-16 win over the Giants to help clinch the top seed in the NFC.

Gardner-Johnson had seven tackles and a tackle for loss while playing a couple positions and was extremely active in his return after a five-game absence on Injured Reserve with a lacerated kidney.

He walked the walk.

Then he talked the talk.

"Y’all know I’m the best safety in the league right now,” Gardner-Johnson said. "I ain’t even gotta talk. I haven’t played in what, six weeks? And I still lead the lead (in interceptions).

"But I ain’t here to be arrogant or cocky. I just know they brought me here to get the ball, do what I gotta do, play off my teammates and I think that’s what I did. I don’t care about none of that analytical s—. It don’t bother me. I’m glad we won. Now that s— runs through us.”

Whether or not Gardner-Johnson is actually the best safety in the NFL is up for debate but he’s right about the rest of it. Despite missing over a month with that lacerated kidney, Gardner-Johnson did finish in a four-way tie atop the NFL with six interceptions.

And that s—, indeed, does run through Philly. Of course, we’re talking about the NFC. Because in addition to earning a first-round bye in the playoffs, the Eagles will have home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

As for his claim that he’s the best safety in the NFL … would you expect any less? Gardner-Johnson’s confidence is part of the reason he’s been so successful in his NFL career.

So that’s why it made me do a double take a couple minutes earlier when the 25-year-old casually mentioned that he had to humble himself after getting traded to Philadelphia.

How so?

"I’m not even going to cap to you,” Gardner-Johnson answered. "You got two of the corners (Darius Slay and James Bradberry) that can cover better than me. You gotta think, I was covering all down in New Orleans but when I got a chance to play with some lock-down corners, I just figured, like, I need to play my role. It turned out to be good, I guess.”

The Eagles traded for Gardner-Johnson just before the season and immediately made him a safety after he had primarily played nickel cornerback during his first three years in the NFL with the Saints.

But on Sunday in the regular season finale, Gardner-Johnson showed off his versatility. With Avonte Maddox (toe) still on the shelf, the Eagles used CJGJ as a safety in their base package and played him in the slot in their nickel package. The Eagles clearly feel more comfortable with safety Reed Blankenship on the field than nickel corner Josiah Scott and Gardner-Johnson’s flexibility allowed them to operate that way.

While Maddox hasn’t been placed on IR, showing that the Eagles have some faith he’ll be able to return this season, he was seen again on Sunday in a walking boot. There’s a chance Gardner-Johnson might need to play both positions again when the playoffs kick off for the Eagles in a couple weeks.

"I feel like I’m one of the best safeties in the game so if any other safety can do it, why I can’t do it?” he said. "Regardless of if somebody is hurt or not, I’m just here to help the team win. Avonte told me to go out there. He’s been helping me every day to get better out there and you see it. No false steps. I’m just glad to be out there with the boys, fighting.”

After missing five games, Gardner-Johnson said he felt pretty fresh on Sunday and now he’ll get another week off before the divisional round.

Sunday was the first time CJGJ spoke to reporters since suffering his injury against Green Bay.

So what’s it feel like to suffer a lacerated kidney?

"Like a dog bite. You can’t do s—,” he said. "Once you get bit, you bit.”

But the injury healed up enough that Gardner-Johnson was back at practice earlier in the week and activated to the 53-man roster on Saturday in time to help the Eagles clinch the NFC East.

This is the third division title of Gardner-Johnson’s four year career (he won two with the Saints) but he’s never advanced beyond the divisional round.

A few locker stalls over, Darius Slay celebrated the first division title of his 10-year career.

That isn’t lost on CJGJ.

"It just made me go harder,” Gardner-Johnson said. "I just know what I gotta do. Ten-year vet, older guy, been here. Not a lot of people get these opportunities. I just want to do what I gotta do. That’s why they brought me here for.”

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/eagles-cj-gardner-johnson-shows-versatility-confidence-return

[UK_EaglesFan89]

Do we think they'll extend him? I mean we know they have "cap issues" and we know they are going to pay Hurts. 

[EaglesAddict]

I think CGJ is a must-resign.  Just hope they can work out a deal because CGJ also seems like the type that is gonna get the max he can get, regardless if that's here or anywhere else.  

[time2rock]

12 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Do we think they'll extend him? I mean we know they have "cap issues" and we know they are going to pay Hurts. 

Slay counts $26M against the 2023 cap ... have to believe something will be done to lower that (trade possibly, restructure, extend).  Hate to extend him at this time ... he is entering the last year of his current contract (ends after 2023 season).  His drop in play from 1st half of season to 2nd was alarming.  Could that be because of his age?  A restructure would probably convert some of the $17M base salary into bonus and add even more dead cap to the void years (currently both 2024 and 2025 with $5.4M each and 2026 with $3.1M).  But might not have a choice - a trade may be tough to pull off unless to a team with a boatload of cap space.  

[UK_EaglesFan89]

Just now, time2rock said:

But might not have a choice - a trade may be tough to pull off unless to a team with a boatload of cap space.  

I guess the challenge there is a team with a boat load of cap space probably isn't an ageing corner away from being contenders. So are they going to want to give him a presumably pretty good contract. 

[time2rock]

42 minutes ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

I guess the challenge there is a team with a boat load of cap space probably isn't an ageing corner away from being contenders. So are they going to want to give him a presumably pretty good contract. 

Exactly, that is why I think a restructure is the most likely scenario (it frees up space in 2023 at the expense of space in 2024 and 2025, assuming a post June 1 designation at that time similar to what we did with Brooks and further assuming no new non-void years are added on, which is likely as well ... just not my preference).  

[nipples]

14 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Do we think they'll extend him? I mean we know they have "cap issues" and we know they are going to pay Hurts. 

I believe so. They won’t be able to keep both him and Bradberry though, after Hurts gets paid. I think they’ll keep CJGJ and let Bradberry walk. Possibly draft a CB in round 1 to replace him. 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

8 hours ago, nipples said:

I believe so. They won’t be able to keep both him and Bradberry though, after Hurts gets paid. I think they’ll keep CJGJ and let Bradberry walk. Possibly draft a CB in round 1 to replace him. 

Yeah i suspect that's what they'll do. CJGJ is younger and I think they need to look at drafting a CB early (at long last).

[nipples]

13 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Yeah i suspect that's what they'll do. CJGJ is younger and I think they need to look at drafting a CB early (at long last).

May need to go CB early regardless of whether Bradberry is here too. Slay isn’t getting any younger 

[time2rock]

43 minutes ago, nipples said:

May need to go CB early regardless of whether Bradberry is here too. Slay isn’t getting any younger 

And his play completely fell off a cliff the 2nd half of the season.  Opposing QBs had a 37.2 passer rating when targeting Slay in the first 8 games.  The 2nd half of the season ...134.6 (ranking 92 out of 93 CBs ).  I think it is relating to Father Time catching up with him ... he doesn't have the young legs to have the stamina to keep up with those 21-25 year old receivers over the course of a full season anymore.  I highly doubt this is possible but if there is any way Howie can find a trade partner for Slay, I'd move him and re-sign Bradberry who was more consistent (35.9 1st half of season, 80.4 2nd half of season).  

[UK_EaglesFan89]

1 hour ago, time2rock said:

And his play completely fell off a cliff the 2nd half of the season.  Opposing QBs had a 37.2 passer rating when targeting Slay in the first 8 games.  The 2nd half of the season ...134.6 (ranking 92 out of 93 CBs ).

See that's really alarming. But also there has to be more to that. I mean sure you expect a player to decline with age but he fell off a cliff there. That's not just a player who's feeling his age a little. 

[time2rock]

42 minutes ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

See that's really alarming. But also there has to be more to that. I mean sure you expect a player to decline with age but he fell off a cliff there. That's not just a player who's feeling his age a little. 

I'm sure there are other factors (like missing a playmaker like CJGJ playing behind you ... knowing that allows you to take more chances).  But I'm sure a large part is age-related.  

[nipples]

2 hours ago, time2rock said:

I'm sure there are other factors (like missing a playmaker like CJGJ playing behind you ... knowing that allows you to take more chances).  But I'm sure a large part is age-related.  

I'm sure part is age, but I think you're right about CJGJ being out playing a major role. Even with his age catching up to him, I still don't see how he goes from a top-3 CB the first half of the year to a bottom-3 CB the second half. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. I do believe he's still a #1 CB overall, but he won't be for much longer.

[Miami]

Bradberry is already 29 years old so seems unlikely that Howie will break the bank for him.  CJ, on the other hand, is 25 years old and already a baller.  Makes the players around him better and plays that hybrid safety role that is tough to fill.  Could see him getting a sweet deal so he can keep making interceptions and talking that ish.  Fits the profile of what Howie likes to do with the salary cap well.  

[nipples]

I’m far from a cap guru, but would they save any space by trading Slay? I’d hate to do it because I like Slay and he seems to be a good locker room guy, but… I do wonder if trading him would save enough cap space to allow them to re-sign Bradberry. That way they’re keeping the younger of the two corners and still able to sign CJGJ back as well. 

[time2rock]

12 minutes ago, nipples said:

I’m far from a cap guru, but would they save any space by trading Slay? I’d hate to do it because I like Slay and he seems to be a good locker room guy, but… I do wonder if trading him would save enough cap space to allow them to re-sign Bradberry. That way they’re keeping the younger of the two corners and still able to sign CJGJ back as well. 

If we cut or trade him without using a post June 1 designation, we see $3.7M in cap savings (while also taking a dead money hit to the 2023 cap of $22.4M).  Using the designation, those values adjust to $17.5M (cap savings) and $8.6M (dead money hit to 2023 cap … the remainder would hit the 2024 cap obviously).