Katharine Lotze/Getty Images NFL cornerback Artie Burns on October 13, 2019.
The Philadelphia Eagles don’t have many holes left to fill heading into training camp. They made a slew of savvy moves in free agency, then crushed the 2023 NFL draft. The reigning NFC champions should be the favorites to get back to the Super Bowl.
That being said, depth is always front of mind for general manager Howie Roseman. When looking up and down his well-constructed roster, he’s going to notice a few positions that could use a refresh. Linebacker has been mentioned in this space. Ditto for a wide receiver.
How about cornerback? Yes, they have Pro Bowl starters Darius Slay and James Bradberry. Yes, they drafted Kelee Ringo and signed Greedy Williams. But all those guys are best suited for the outside. There is no one really pushing for the right to sit behind Avonte Maddox.
As Philly Voice’s Jimmy Kempski pointed out, the Eagles may want to bring in an established backup to play slot cornerback. He called out free agent Artie Burns as a possible candidate to fill that role, especially since he has experience in new defensive coordinator Sean Desai’s system. Kempski wrote the following about Burns:
Burns’ two seasons in Chicago overlapped with Sean Desai. In 2022, he signed with the Seahawks, after the Seahawks hired Desai to become their associate head coach. He managed to stick on the roster for the entirety of the season, but was among the team’s inactives for 13 games.
It’s also perhaps noteworthy that Eagles Director of Scouting Brandon Hunt was with the Steelers when Pittsburgh drafted him in the first round.
This Artie Burns meltdown had everything.
-Burns acting like a child
-Landry pancake
-Josh Gordon clapping at him
-Todd Haley chirping at Artie
-Hue holding Todd back
-Artie and Peppers almost threw hands
Let’s add another Eagles connection: Burns was teammates with new safety Terrell Edmunds for two seasons in Pittsburgh.
Burns Brings Experience, Untapped Potential
Burns saw action in 3 games last season for the Seattle Seahawks but only played 16 defensive snaps. Prior to that, the 28-year-old served a two-year stint in Chicago which was cut short by a torn ACL in 2020. Burns was originally a first-round pick (25th overall) of the Steelers in 2016 where he played 58 games (32 starts) over four seasons. He has 172 total tackles, 4 interceptions, 33 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, and 2 fumble recoveries in 72 career games.
Adversity made Artie Burns flourish, not falter.
While most would probably slap the bust label on Burns, the potential is there waiting to be untapped. Remember, he would only be asked to serve in a backup capacity in Philly. Let him fight for the job against Josiah Scott and Zech McPhearson. If he loses, then the Eagles could simply cut him after training camp. It’s worth a gamble.
Scouting Report: Miami Hurricanes
The 6-foot, 187-pounder was an All-ACC selection at the University of Miami where he led the conference with six interceptions in 2015. He declared for the NFL draft earlier than expected after tragically losing his mother to a heart attack.
NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein praised his “length, speed, ball skills and abundant potential” in a 2016 scouting report. Burns was a two-sport athlete in high school and won the 110-meter hurdles three times at Miami Northwestern. His 40-yard dash time was 4.46 seconds.
Bleacher Report wrote: “A typically cocky, loud player, Burns backs it up. He loves to chatter, but when you’re grabbing six interceptions and blanking receivers’ attempts at the end zone, you can run your mouth a little bit.”
Spent some time this morning re-watching Artie Burns at Miami. It’s a shame seeing where Artie is now because he has all the physical tools and size to succeed. Hoping he can find his confidence again and rebound after last season. #Steelers