Safety Issue?
Posted: November 29th, 2022 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 11 Comments »Safety CJ Gardner-Johnson has been a terrific addition to the Eagles this year. He leads the NFL with 6 interceptions and has been a key reason the Eagles defense has allowed the second fewest yards in the league. Unfortunately, the Eagles will be without his services for a bit.
#Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson is out indefinitely after suffering a lacerated kidney in Sunday night’s win over the #Packers, per sources.
It’s a non-surgical injury. Testing is ongoing, so timetable still TBD, but it is not expected to be season-ending.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 29, 2022
That sounds bad, but the team has actually seen something like this before.
Former Eagles TE Zach Ertz suffered a similar injury in Dec. 2019. He missed the season finale and was back the following week for the first round of the playoffs, even though some had advised him not to play.
Different circumstances with Gardner-Johnson, but some context. https://t.co/PGdxzb8eyQ
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) November 29, 2022
CGJ said he’ll be back. He just didn’t say when. So how do the Eagles go about replacing him?
The in-house candidate is rookie Reed Blankenship. He played well on Sunday night and showed he belongs in the NFL. Blankenship is a good hitter and tackler. I loved the fact he attacked downhill so well. When he saw the runner/receiver, there was no hesitation. He attacked.
Blankenship also does what I heard Ronnie Lott talk about 30 years ago. Don’t run to the target, run through the target. That’s how you put guys down with force.
There is risk if the Eagles go with him. The Packers didn’t have tape to study or time to figure out how to really attack him. Other teams will go at him and try to confuse the rookie. That is a whole different test for Blankenship. He might pass with flying colors. He also might get exposed. After all, there is a reason he went undrafted.
What else could the Eagles do?
https://twitter.com/JClarkNBCS/status/1597605120778579970
Jenkins will turn 35 in three weeks. He’s never played for Jonathan Gannon or in this system. Would this move make any sense?
Jenkins hasn’t played this year, but did start 16 games last year. He was the second leading tackler on a defense that allowed the 4th fewest yards in the league. Would he have anything left in the tank? There is precedent.
Last year the Rams brought Eric Weddle out of retirement when they needed safety help. He didn’t play at all in 2020 and made his 2021 debut in the postseason. Weddle helped the team to win the Super Bowl. And he was 37 at the time.
That was a major anomaly, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen twice. The circumstances have to be right. I think they are in this situation. Jenkins is healthy and interested. The Eagles have a good secondary and need a complementary piece, not someone to come in and completely save the day.
Nick Sirianni and the Eagles coaches studied Jenkins last year when the Eagles were gameplanning for the Saints. They will have a feel for how good he is (or isn’t). At the very least, the Eagles have to discuss this idea and figure out if it makes sense to them.
They might prefer to stick with Blankenship. He’s a young player with good potential. He knows the scheme. As much as you hate to lose CGJ, you are curious to see what Blankenship can do. Then again, this is potentially a Super Bowl team we’re talking about. There would be risk in relying on a rookie starter in that setting.
We’ll have to wait and see what happens.
*****
We love to hate Tom Brady, but this is pretty cool.
Tom Brady on Jalen Hurts, via the SiriusXM podcast “Let’s Go! With Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray.” pic.twitter.com/okmhOMtg4R
— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) November 29, 2022
Throwing and running for 150 yards in a game is special. Hurts is having a great season and he’s doing some freaky things.
There is an alternate universe where the Eagles have Russell Wilson at QB and another one where Deshaun Watson is here. Those are terrifying thoughts.
Instead of having to embrace the fakest guy in the league and watch him play erratic football or try to discuss sexual assault on a weekly basis, we get to enjoy a good dude having a great year.
Thank you Jalen for playing like this. And thank you to the other guys for not wanting to come to Philly. They saved us a lot of misery.
*****
Green Bay #Packers placing former #Raiders safety Johnathan Abram on waivers, per a league source
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) November 29, 2022
The Eagles are last on waiver claims so we’ll have to wait and see if any other team wants Abram. The former first rounder was cut by Oakland recently. He just had a short stint in Green Bay and will likely be joining a third team soon. Not a great player by any stretch, but could be worth taking a look at.
My guess is that some team with a good defensive coach will take a chance on him before the Eagles get a chance.
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The Eagles continue turning over the bottom of the roster, looking for the right developmental/practice players.
Practice Squad: Eagles have released RB Kennedy Brooks and T Roderick Johnson. pic.twitter.com/Ddl9x8zkvN
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) November 29, 2022
Kawaan Baker visited the Eagles
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) November 29, 2022
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