The Philadelphia Eagles suffered numerous losses on the defensive side of the ball this offseason. Not only did their coordinator, Jonathan Gannon, take a head coaching job with the Arizona Cardinals, but multiple players from last season’s vaunted defense also moved on in free agency.
Javon Hargrave, T.J Edwards, Kyzir White, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps all departed in free agency, leaving a few voids on the defensive side of the ball. The Eagles have prepared for this moment, as they drafted in 2022 and 2023 with an eye toward finding long-term replacements.
Philadelphia is turning into Georgia-North, as they selected numerous Bulldogs in recent years. Some of them, such as Nakobe Dean, Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter, will have prominent roles this season replacing the veterans who departed. Nolan Smith and Kelee Ringo’s time to shine won’t be too far behind.
If there was one position that the Eagles could look to upgrade before the season it is at safety. Replacing the versatile Gardner-Johnson, who signed with the Detroit Lions, won’t be easy. Philadelphia did bring in Terrell Edmunds and Justin Evans, but the team could look to make a splash.
Someone such as Budda Baker of the Arizona Cardinals would certainly qualify. Baker was listed as a shocking trade target for the Eagles to pursue by Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report. Baker made a trade request earlier this offseason as he seeks a more lucrative contract and doesn’t want to play for a rebuilding team. Going from Arizona to Philadelphia would certainly suffice as the Eagles are in as good of a position as any team to contend for a Super Bowl.
Baker has the skill set to play either safety position, providing some flexibility for new defensive coordinator Sean Desai to work with. He can also play in the slot, where Gardner-Johnson thrived last season in their multiple defensive backs looks.
An already strong defense would be taken to a new level with the addition of Baker. He would help ensure there is no drop-off despite the loss of a coach and so much talent personnel-wise.
