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Cornerback suddenly looks like a position of strength for the Philadelphia Eagles. They have two Pro Bowl-caliber talents sliding into starting spots, along with a rising star at the nickel spot. And the depth chart is loaded with young, albeit inexperienced talent throughout the secondary.
However, safety continues to be a talking point in Philly even after the team signed Jaquiski Tartt and hyped up Marcus Epps. There is still a chance they could look to add another veteran player there in free agency. One guy worth considering is Jimmy Smith, the 11-year veteran cornerback who last played for the Baltimore Ravens. The 33-year-old free agent is coming off another injury-plagued season but a position switch might serve him well.
According to Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus, Smith could make a lot of sense playing safety for the Eagles. His size (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) and athleticism makes him perfectly suited to take on opposing tight ends, something he did on occasion last season.
Kyed wrote: “The Eagles are set at cornerback with Darius Slay, James Bradberry and Avonte Maddox, but they could use an upgrade at safety. Smith has dabbled in the position over the past two years and, at 34 years old [birthday is July 26], would benefit from a full-time switch.”
Smith has 374 tackles and 74 pass breakups in 128 career games after going 27th overall in the 2011 NFL draft. His experience could benefit the Eagles’ locker room.
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Defensive Coordinator Backs Marcus Epps
The public relations campaign for Marcus Epps started in May, right after the Eagles ignored the safety position in the draft. General manager Howie Roseman gushed about his “confidence” in the fourth-year safety.
Ditto for defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon who expressed excitement over seeing Epps turn into a full-time starter.
“Just like any young player, a guy that hasn’t been a full-time starter, is just consistency,” Gannon told reporters on May 24. “He’s played at a high level the times that he’s played for us, and you have to be able to do that over the long-haul snap after snap. Really excited to see him play this year.
“That’s just the thing is just one snap at a time and being a consistent football player and executing at a high level with everything that we ask the safety position to do.”
K’Von Wallace Making Impact in Richmond
K’Von Wallace is one of the young safeties on the Eagles’ roster looking to snake more snaps, maybe even a starting spot. Philadelphia selected him in the fourth round of the 2020 draft, but he’s been relegated mostly to special teams over his first two seasons. The football stuff will work itself out.
For Wallace, it’s all about making an impact back in his hometown of Richmond. He recently held a free football camp for kids at Highland Springs High School, his alma mater. Wallace also visited Creighton Court – the public housing complex that served as his first home, according to the Richmond-Times Dispatch — before buying his mother a new home in Chesterfield County. The sale closed on June 16.
