Eagles have a luxury that will make their lives a whole lot easier amid massive changes on both sides of the ball in Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Eagles have made a lot of changes this offseason, and one player is allowing them to worry much less.
The Philadelphia Eagles have undergone many changes this offseason. There’s no secret that this is a big one for head coach Nick Sirianni, as a large portion of the media and the fan base will have him on the hot seat if things don’t look the way they’re supposed to.
Whether it’s trading away star players, hiring new offensive coordinators with significant differences in schematics, or making changes on the defensive side of the ball in terms of base personnel, the Eagles are trying to find what works. When things like this happen, it can be hectic, chaotic, some would even say. Philly is planning to move star defensive back Cooper DeJean to safety in its base package. That’s a change you can add to the list, too. However, they don’t really have to worry about that one, given how versatile he is.
DeJean is one of the most versatile players in the entire league. DeJean played 138 snaps in the box, 685 snaps in the slot, and 245 snaps at wide cornerback last season. They moved him around everywhere, but he rarely started plays at free safety. That doesn’t mean he can’t play it.
Ted Nguyen names Cooper DeJean as one of the most versatile players in the NFL
“Eagles coaches speak about Cooper DeJean with reverence because the scope of what they ask him to do from a schematic and physical standpoint is not normal. DeJean does everything, except maybe man coverage, at an elite level, and he’s still very good playing man. If he’s not the top tackling defensive back in the league, he’s in the top three. You simply can’t throw a screen in his direction and expect to get yards after the catch. His awareness in zone is where he really stands out. He knows exactly how offenses are trying to stress coverages with their pass concepts and take away passing lanes, so even when he’s not making plays on the ball, he’s forcing quarterbacks to hold the ball.
“DeJean has mastered multiple positions in a complex Vic Fangio system and should be recognized as one of the league’s best defenders. Last season, DeJean moved to the outside corner when the Eagles were in base (four defensive backs). Reportedly, DeJean has been playing safety in base in OTAs.” – Ted Nguyen, The Athletic
The Eagles won’t have to worry much about that change, if any. DeJean can play anywhere in the secondary, and wherever he is, he is elite.
DeJean was targeted 60 times over the past year. He allowed just 30 catches for 400 yards and no touchdowns, per Sports Info Solutions. That may sound like a lot of catches allowed, but he’s targeted a ton. So, yes, there will be many catches allowed. He had two interceptions and another one dropped. The Eagles don’t really have to worry about him at all, no matter where he’s covering.