Report: Eagles sign former first-round pick Terrell Edmunds to 1-year deal
It looks like the Philadelphia Eagles may have found their replacement for CJ Gardner-Johnson.
On Friday, the Eagles agreed to terms with S Terrell Edmunds, signing the former first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers to a one-year deal. The cap ramifications of the contract have yet to be revealed.
Edmunds, 26, played five years in Pittsburgh, starting 75 of a possible 79 games while totaling 410 combined tackles, five sacks, and five interceptions. Edmunds never reached the heights some Steelers fans expected as a first-round selection, but he’s been a reliable asset to Pittsburgh’s secondary every year he’s been in the league.
For those worried about the drop-off in talent between Edmunds and Gardner-Johnson, Pro Football Focus actually gave Edmunds higher marks across the board in 2022.
Edmunds PFF grades:
- Overall — 69.1
- Run Defense — 63.4
- Pass Rush — 77.2
- Coverage — 68.0
Gardner-Johnson PFF grades:
- Overall — 63.9
- Run Defense — 57.2
- Pass Rush — 66.1
- Coverage — 64.2
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It’s worth noting that Edmunds is a completely different player than CJGJ. Edmunds routinely lined up all over the formation for Pittsburgh last season, logging 322 snaps in the box, 254 at free safety, and 195 in the slot. Whereas Gardner-Johnson played the majority of his snaps at free safety (393), while occasionally creeping down into the box or slot, where he tallied 319 snaps combined from those alignments.
Edmunds excels closer to the line of scrimmage where his physicality really shines through. He missed just 7.9 percent of his tackles last season. When he gets his hands on you, he’s looking to cause some damage.
Edmunds will certainly help the Eagles lackluster run defense next season
As it stands, it looks like Edmunds and Reed Blankenship will be the Week 1 starters at safety. I’m not convinced the Eagles are finished adding to the position, though. Whether they wait until free agency really dies down, or they find another safety through the draft, something tells me Howie is cooking something else up.
Only time will tell.
>> Read More: Eagles still sit atop CBS Sports’ NFC power rankings despite free agency casualties
Mandatory Credit: Pittsburgh Post Gazette
