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The Philadelphia Eagles are getting thin at safety after losing Reed Blankenship to an ankle sprain. It’s considered a short-term injury, but there’s a possibility the undrafted rookie turned-starter will miss a game or two. Head coach Nick Sirianni hinted a roster move might be on the horizon at the safety position.
Sirianni had no immediate update on starter C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s return from a lacerated kidney. Third-stringer K’Von Wallace held down the spot on Sunday in relief duty. When asked if the team would pursue a replacement in free agency, Sirianni left the door open while crediting Howie Roseman and his staff.
“We’ll see if we need to do something with safety,” Sirianni told reporters. “I know Howie and his guys, we’ve already talked about it. They’re on top of anything we need to fill the roster. Howie’s worked diligently to put this team in the best position to win, just like we do as coaches, put the players in positions to succeed. Howie’s going to put us as coaches in positions to succeed with the players he gets in here and the depth he gets in here. And the right amount of practice people he gets in here. He works at all levels to do that.”
Taking a guess at a move: Anthony Harris was recently released by the Denver Broncos. He has familiarity as a starter in Jonathan Gannon’s defense. Jaquiski Tartt would be another logical option since he spent training camp with the Eagles. Andrew Sendejo is a veteran free agent who has experience playing for both Gannon and the Eagles, too.
Arryn Siposs Expected to Miss Significant Time
Sirianni also updated the status of injured punter Arryn Siposs. He’s out for the foreseeable future and the Eagles are looking to bring someone in.
“Arryn’s [injury] just looks like it’s going to be a little bit longer than we expected,” Sirianni said. “We will have to bring somebody in. Don’t really know how long it’s going to be but we’re planning and obviously, we’ll bring somebody in and we’re working through that right now.”
Sirianni sounded optimistic when addressing right tackle Lane Johnson (abdomen) and safety Reed Blankenship (ankle). He was hopeful about both players, adding they were in a “good spot.”
“With Reed and with Lane, we’ll see. It’s looking good for those guys,” Sirianni said. “We’ll see how it goes and how the week progresses. Obviously, I’m not going to put a timetable on either of those guys. We’ll see how they progress. But both of them, we feel like we’ll get more tests done and get more time with the treatment.”
Brandon Graham: The Ultimate Eagle
Brandon Graham recorded three sacks against New York in Week 14 to bring his season total to 8.5 sacks. Yes, the veteran defensive end may be on pace for a Pro Bowl selection despite playing fewer snaps in a more specialized role. It doesn’t matter — he is one of a kind type of player and an even better person.
“He’s awesome. I can’t say enough good things about him,” Sirianni said of Graham. “I said on the radio, on WIP this morning, that he was made by god to rush the quarterback, like the way he’s built, the way he goes — one of our coaches said that, and I was like you’re right — and that was a quote someone had about Michael Jordan, about how he was made by god to take the last shot of the game.”
Sirianni continued: “What’s great about Brandon Graham is he takes that god-given ability that he has and then he has this platform in this city because he’s been here for so long, right? He’s got this platform in this city and he uses his platform in such a positive way to affect people and to affect the community in a positive way. He’s a special guy. He’s a special team leader. He’s a special player. And he’s a special person.”
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