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The Philadelphia Eagles and veteran safety Rodney McLeod parted ways after the 2021 season, but Jimmy Kempski of The Philly Voice thinks a reunion is possible if injury would strike the position group.
As the Eagles prepare to face the Cleveland Browns in the second preseason game of the year, both teams are conducting joint practices leading up to the August 17 game. Kempski was asked in his August 16 Q&A column whether Eagles executive vice president and general manager Howie Roseman might have his eye on any of Cleveland’s players, and he listed one: McLeod.
“Because the Eagles’ roster is so loaded, it’s tough to project where they might need more players due to injury or underperformance, other than at linebacker. But I do think that one player they could feel really comfortable adding if they needed help at safety is old friend Rodney McLeod,” Kempski wrote.
McLeod Is Currently 2nd String FS for Browns
McLeod, who was part of Philadelphia’s 2017 Super Bowl-winning squad, spent six of his 11 seasons with the Eagles, from 2016 until 2021. He began his career as an undrafted free agent with the Rams in 2012, where he played until 2015. After his tenure in Philadelphia, McLeod spent a lone season with the Indianapolis Colts in 2022.
He played in all 17 games for the Colts last season (15 starts) and he finished with a career-high 96 tackles (59 solo, eight for loss), eight pass breakups, a fumble recovery, two interceptions and a defensive touchdown.
The 33-year-old veteran inked a one-year, $1.7 million deal with the Browns this offseason, so he’d be an affordable option for the Eagles should the injury bug bite the safeties room. McLeod is currently listed behind Juan Thornhill at free safety on Cleveland’s depth chart, and considering his recent production coupled with his contract value, it’s unlikely Cleveland would want to part ways with him in the event Philly wanted to pursue a reunion.
The Eagles would also only pursue McLeod again if one of their promising young safeties went down with injury — and even then, there’s no guarantee they’d look his way. It’s an interesting idea, though.
Safety Position Will Look Different for Eagles in 2023
After losing C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps — who combined for 29 starts and over 150 tackles at safety last season — this offseason, the Eagles got decidedly younger at the position, drafting safety Sydney Brown in Round 3 of the 2023 draft.
Reed Blankenship is the only sure-fire starter at the position heading into Philadelphia’s second preseason game against the Browns. Terrell Edmunds, the rookie Brown and K’Von Wallace are all likely roster locks, while Justin Evans and Tristin McCollum are also on the roster at safety, although both will likely be cut.
As it stands, there’s quite the battle brewing for the other starting spot alongside Blankenship. Brown and Wallace in particular played well in the Eagles’ first preseason matchup, a 20-19 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Brown led the team in tackles with nine, and he says he plans on making a name for himself in a hurry.
“I want to be a feared player,” Brown said on August 16, via NJ.com. “That was my mindset going into this. Playing at that intensity every day, at some point, you’re going to connect at some point, and you’re going to feel it. My intention is not to hurt people, but if you are carrying that football, yeah, you have it coming for you.”
With that attitude, Brown is sure to see the field a ton this year. We’ll see if he can help fill the void left by Gardner-Johnson and Epps.
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