Philadelphia Eagles: For Blake Countess, the third time could be the charm

After two unsuccessful tenures in the City of Brotherly Love, the third time could be the charm for Blake Countess and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Blake Countess and the Philadelphia Eagles have a rather odd relationship.

Initially drafted by the team in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft – 37 picks before Jalen Mills – Countess was dubbed a certified Howie Roseman guy and looked primed to compete for a role in then-new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz‘s defensive scheme.

On paper, the move made a ton of sense for the price of a late-round flier.

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A three-year starter at Michigan before graduate transferring to Auburn in 2015, Countess did a little bit of everything over his college career, from playing outside cornerback, free safety, and in the slot. He wasn’t particularly elite at any one position mind you – typically, players graduate transfer for a reason – but for a team like the Eagles who needed help all over their defensive secondary, selecting a 5-foot-10 DB with a jack-of-all-trades mentality made a ton of sense.

And in hindsight, Countess should have been a perfect fit in the scheme.

A decent enough tackler with dangerous lumber and an eye for the ball, Countess amassed six tackles for loss, eight interceptions, and 23 passes defensed over his combined college career, including a career-high 10 PDs in his lone season at Auburn.

As we’ve seen over the last four years, Schwartz prioritizes defensive backs with plus-ball skills who fight for the ball on every snap, so in theory, Countess should have fit right in.

But he just sort of didn’t.

‘Slotted’ in behind Buffalo Bills transfer Ron Brooks on the interior, Countess was released in the final roster trim down to 53 in favor of Mills, who surprisingly found almost instant success as an outside cornerback despite playing mostly on the inside over his final few seasons at LSU.

Now in an ideal world, the Eagles would have signed Countess to their practice squad in an attempt to further develop him into a potential starter, but unfortunately, that didn’t work out. Instead of staying put close to his Owings Mills, Maryland home, Countess took his talents west to the sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles to become a member of the Rams.

In hindsight, the move ultimately paid off for Countess, as he was elevated to the 53-man roster in time to debut in Week 11 and remained with the team through the 2018 season.

Fun fact: Countess was the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 3 of the 2018 season for returning two kicks for 51 yards, while also returning a blocked punt for a touchdown.

But after a particularly unusual situation with the Rams involving a restricted free agency tender, a potential pay cut, and an understandable refusal (read more on that here) Countess was waived by the club on May 2nd of 2019.

Fortunately, Countess didn’t have to wait too long to find a new job, as he was claimed by the Eagles for a second chance to make the team.

*sigh*, I think you know where we’re going from here.

After returning to the field in midnight green for the first time since 2016, Countess quickly found himself sidelined yet again, this time with a hamstring injury. He missed most of the offseason and was eventually waived in the final trim down to 53 yet again.

Countess reunited with Joe Douglas as a member of the New York Jets in 2019, appeared in six games exclusively on special teams, and was released in March before the 2020 league year opened up.

So, you may ask, why would the Eagles want to give Countess a third chance to make the roster when they’ve already signed three safeties this year in Rodney McLeod, Will Parks, and – fittingly enough – Jalen Mills? Factor in 2019 additions Rudy Ford and Marcus Epps, and the opportunity to add a safety in the 2020 NFL Draft and Countess’ addition feels rather superfluous, no?

Right now, yes, but maybe not a month from now.

Allow me to explain.

On May 8th – okay, technically on May 7th after 4 pm – NFL teams can freely sign free agents without it affecting the subsequent year’s compensatory draft picks. While this date doesn’t technically matter if the Eagles want to sign Countess, as he was waived by the Jets, this post-draft period is where teams usually fill any remaining needs going into training camp.

If the Eagles still find themselves in need of help at cornerback, safety, or in the slot, Countess is an ideal low-risk, medium-reward signee with a ton of experience in Schwartz’s scheme.

With only two defensive backs under contract after the 2021 season in Darius Slay and Marcus Epps – at least right now – the Eagles could conceivably use 2020’s training camp as an open competition to find who could stick with the team long-term and who can’t. While players like Nickell Robey-Coleman, Parks, and even Trevor Williams have a better chance to make the roster than Countess, a chance may be all the 26-year-old defensive back wants at this point of his career.

Countess can conceivably play five different positions for the team if you count special teams, so his versatility alone may be worth a look.

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In 2019, Blake Countess could have been a massive upgrade over the motley crew of cornerbacks the team had to trot out after a string of injuries left players like Craig James in starting roles. In 2020, Countess is a deep bench reserve with positional versatility and an ability to contribute on special teams. While some may scoff at such a low-ceiling signing, 2019 should serve as a cautionary tale to the Philadelphia Eagles that you can never have enough quality players at positions of need. Countess is a quality player, even if he hasn’t shown it yet in the NFL.

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