Getty Justin Evans hands ball to ref during Eagles Vikings matchup
Eagles safety Justin Evans was the starter at the beginning of the 2023 season, but unfortunately, he’ll spend the rest of it on IR. This leaves the team with only three safeties on the current roster: Kevin Byard, Reed Blankenship, and rookie Sydney Brown.
Evans, a Texas A&M alum and former second-round pick, displayed potential in his NFL journey but was plagued by numerous health issues, namely a nagging toe injury. Despite sitting out the 2019-2021 seasons, he made a comeback with the Saints in 2022, playing 15 games with the team. The Eagles saw his signing as a gamble with the potential for a significant payoff, but unfortunately, it didn’t pan out as expected.
According to the Eagles website, the team activated Evans’ 21-day practice window on November 14th, but with the practice window now closed as of Tuesday, December 5th, Evans will have to spend the rest of the year on Injured Reserve.
The Gamble of Signing Evans Did Not Pay Off
The team had been pretty quiet when it came to the topic of Evans’ practice reps. When head coach Nick Sirianni was asked about his 28-year-old safety on Friday, December 1st, and at the team press conference, he had this to say, “Yeah, obviously he’s still working hard and, again, with his situation, we’ll get more information as the next couple days go on.”
Evans had been a limited practice participant in his first week back with the team but has since been unable to make it onto the field.
Evans was signed as a free agent in the offseason. He was picked up on a one-year deal in hopes that he could be the starting strong safety. He started every week that he suited up for Philadelphia. The problem was that he was only healthy for four games.
In his latest article on the topic, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia, writes “he (Evans) wouldn’t have returned to the starting lineup if he was able to play again this season, he would have offered some depth.” Zangaro goes on to say that “Byard and Blankenship have been the Eagles’ two starters and Brown has been mixing in on defense.”
Obviously, having only three safeties isn’t the end of the world for the Eagles. They’ve played this way for a couple of months now at this point. Still, it leaves little wiggle room for injuries or even the ability to spell one of these starters if the defense faces multiple long drives.
The Eagles Front Office Might Look to Free Agency to Fill the Void
Coach Sirianni and GM Howie Roseman might look to fill the void before the playoffs, but after the recent Shaq Leonard signing, money will be tight, and there might be few options. Still, according to spotrac, the Eagles have $1,570,512 to spend before going over the cap.
If the Eagles look to free agency, some names to consider might be 29-year-old vet Landon Collins, formerly of the New York Giants. Another older vet who never signed with a team in 2023 was Lamarcus Joyner, who most recently played for the New York Jets.
In a recent article covering the Denver Broncos safety Kareem Jackson’s suspension, the Managing Editor of Broncos Wire, Jon Heath, drops a few younger names that could possibly contribute. Heath lists Darius Joiner, Jacobi Francis, Jonathan Abram, Brandon Joseph, Ronnie Harrison, and Devon Key as possible depth pieces. Some of these players might still be recognizable from their college days, while others may not.
In the wake of Evans going back to IR, the Eagles staff will likely be doing their due diligence to see if any of these practice squad players from across the league can add something behind the bird’s established starters.