Eagles Stay or Go 2025: What to do at backup safety originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Reuben Frank and Dave Zangaro bring back Stay or Go in 2025, trying to figure out the futures of every Eagles player on the roster.
We already took a look at quarterback, running back, receiver, tight end, interior offensive line, offensive tackle, specialists, edge rusher, defensive tackle, linebacker and cornerback.
Up last: Safety
Reed Blankenship
Roob: Roob: Blankenship had another very good season, with four interceptions along with a 72.5 defensive passer rating, which was 5th-best among 56 safeties who started at least 10 games. A smart, tough, physical, instinctive defensive back that the Eagles unearthed as an undrafted free agent. Blankenship has also developed into a well-respected leader in a very young d-back room, a role that will become more important with Darius Slay gone. An undrafted safety on the No. 1 pass defense in the NFL with a Super Bowl ring is a rarity – he’s the first in 17 years. Another Howie Roseman success story.
Verdict: Stays
Dave: It’s actually time for a Blankenship extension. He is entering the final year of his contract after getting an extension last offseason and the Eagles should want him to stick around long-term. Not only is he a play-maker and not only does he have a strong rapport with C.J. Gardner-Johnson, but Blankenship is poised to take over as one of the primary leaders in the secondary in 2025. Blankenship was a UDFA just a few years ago but has started 30 games over the last two years and has eight career interceptions. In the last two years, Blankenship has 7 INTs, 17 PBUs and 191 tackles. There are just four players in the NFL to put up those numbers or better the last two years. The other three are Jessie Bates, Julian Love and Xavier McKinney.
Verdict: Stays
Sydney Brown
Roob: At the very least, Brown will be a core special teamer, but as a 3rd-round pick you’d love to see him find a role on defense. He did some good things as a rookie, when he played 35 percent of the defensive snaps, but with Chauncy Gardner-Johnson returning and also with Brown still rehabbing a knee injury when the season began, he never did get on the field much on defense – just 37 snaps before the meaningless year-ender vs. the Giants. As long as Blankenship and C.J. are here, special teams may be the extent of Brown’s role – and he’s really good at it. But he’s still only 24 and with a healthy offseason and going into a second year with Vic Fangio, maybe he can find his way onto the field in a sub-package or two and take over the third safety spot. He goes 100 percent all the time and it’s not always in the right direction, but with his speed and physicality he does offer a lot. I think he’s going to develop into a fun player.
Verdict: Stays
Dave: Brown began his second NFL season on the PUP list and never cracked the rotation on defense. The 2023 third-round pick did, however, become a core special teams player in 2024. Despite missing the first five games, Brown still played 205 special teams snaps in the regular season and played another 74 in the playoffs. With Blankenship and C.J. Gardner-Johnson in those starting roles, Brown will have to compete to be one of the top backups. He was not a top backup in 2024, which is slightly disappointing. But if he’s healthy this offseason, Brown should have that opportunity. Brown plays with his hair on fire and if he ever sees the field on defense, he’s going to be a fun player to watch.
Verdict: Stays
Tariq Castro-Fields
Roob: Penn State safety has bounced around from the 49ers to the Commanders to the Panthers and now the Eagles. He was on and off the Eagles’ practice squad this year and was among the Eagles’ futures contracts signees after the season. TCF has only 27 defensive snaps to show for his first three NFL seasons – he never got on the field for the Eagles last year – so we’re talking about the longest of longshots.
Verdict: Goes
Dave: Castro-Fields had a couple of stints with the Eagles’ practice squad in 2024 and then signed a futures contract after the season ended. The former sixth-round pick from Penn State has played in 12 games with 1 start in his NFL career with the Commanders and Panthers. He did not see game action with the Eagles in 2024 and his odds of making the roster aren’t great.
Verdict: Goes
Lewis Cine
Roob: A very interesting one. He was a 1st-round pick of the Vikings just three years ago – 32nd overall – but only played in 10 games over two years before they gave up on him. Then he had brief stints with the Jets and Bills last year before the Eagles signed him to the 53-man roster off the Bills’ practice squad. Typical Howie Roseman move, snagging Cine just before the postseason began with no real intention of having him play but as a move with the future in mind. So Cine gets a month around Vic Fangio and the defensive coaches, Roseman gets a 26-year-old former 1st-round pick for next to nothing and the Eagles get a safety who could be in the mix for a roster spot. Cine suffered a devastating broken leg as a rookie and hasn’t been the same since, but it’s a nothing-to-lose move. And he went to Georgia, which certainly helps his chances. Will be interesting to keep an eye on Cine in training camp.
Verdict: Goes
Dave: The Eagles brought in Cine on Jan. 8 and signed him off the Bills’ practice squad to their 53-man roster. That tells you that the Eagles wanted an extended look at the former first-round pick from Georgia. Cine has dealt with injury in his NFL career and it’s fair to wonder if he’s the same player athletically he was in the 2022 NFL draft. But he’s still just 25 years old and will get a chance to show what he can do this summer in training camp. With just 11 games under his belt in three NFL seasons, Cine’s NFL career has not gone to plan. I need to see it this summer before keeping him on the roster.
Verdict: Goes
C.J. Gardner-Johnson
Roob: Roob: One of the missing pieces on the 2023 team was CJGJ, who left after the 2022 Super Bowl and came back before the 2024 Super Bowl. Gardner-Johnson was a very good player the first time around, but he was even better this year. More physical and just as much of a big-time playmaker. Even beyond his interceptions, Gardner-Johnson brings an edge and an attitude that was missing in 2023. Sometimes it costs him, but most of the time it just fires up his teammates and gets under the skin of the other team. And no matter what he says or does, he backs it up with big plays.
Verdict: Stays
Dave: Because of some of the other additions in the 2024 offseason, we probably didn’t talk enough about the re-acquisition of Gardner-Johnson. But in his two years with the Eagles, he has 12 interceptions and the Eagles have been to the Super Bowl twice and won one. Gardner-Johnson’s play was at times up-and-down during the regular season but there’s no doubt that his attitude and edge mean something to the spirit of the team. The Eagles got pushed around some in 2023 when Gardner-Johnson wasn’t here and he brought back some of that fire in 2024.
Verdict: Stays
Tristin McCollum
Roob: I haven’t seen a whole lot from McCollum in his two years with the Eagles. He’s had some opportunities to play here and there – 250 defensive snaps this year – and was the third safety for a while. I just don’t see a role for him in 2025, not with Sydney Jones coming into training camp healthy. Could be a guy the Eagles keep around on the practice squad, but my guess is that his days on the 53 are over.
Verdict: Goes
Dave: I was on the fence about McCollum. He was the third safety for a lot of 2024 but then lost that gig to Avonte Maddox late in the season after struggling in game action. McCollum was, however, a big contributor on special teams. He was seventh on the team in special teams snaps and that might be enough to keep him around for another season.
Verdict: Stays
Andre’ Sam
Roob: Another undrafted defensive back the Eagles kept around all year, Sam is actually 26 years old after playing seven years of college football at three different schools (thanks to a red-shirt freshman year, an extra COVID year and a medical red-shirt year). The longest of longshots, but he is under contract as a futures player, so we will get to see him in training camp.
Verdict: Goes
Dave: The Eagles clearly like Sam, who was an undrafted rookie last year. They kept him on the practice squad all season but saw action in just one game. Everyone knew Feb. 9 was Saquon Barkley and Cooper DeJean’s birthday but it was also Sam’s birthday. He turned 26 on Super Bowl Sunday. He’ll get a shot again this summer but the Eagles probably have enough depth at safety.
Verdict: Goes
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