Once a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, always a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Say what you will about Malcolm Jenkins‘ tenure in the City of Brotherly Love but you can’t argue he wasn’t the unquestioned defensive leader of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Sure he may have been getting up there in age, may have lost a step, and may have no longer been worth a ten-figure pay salary in the year 2020. I’ll give you that. But his innate ability to galvanize his troops, get people in the right position, and always find a way to end up around the ball is something truly special that we may not see again in South Philly for quite some time.
But just because Jenkins is no longer a member of the Eagles, doesn’t mean he isn’t still helping out the team. If anything, he’s almost taken on more of a mentor role since signing a deal with the New Orleans Saints earlier this spring.
Me. Malcolm. Rodney. #AlexSubers 📸 pic.twitter.com/QCb8tiLtL9
— William (@PhillyWill11) May 22, 2020
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Need proof? Look no further than his recent workout with ex-defensive backfield partner Rodney McLeod and one of the players who may fill his former position this fall, Will Parks.
Per pictures posted on the latter’s Twitter – taken, funny enough, by Sixers’ photographer Alex Subers – the trio took the field together on an otherwise uneventful Thursday to put in some on-field work, catch up, and presumably, work through what it means to play strong safety in Jim Schwartz‘s defense.
Now could this all be nothing? Just two friends working out together with another new friend? Maybe so, but this isn’t the first time Jenkins and Parks have been connected this offseason. Per his own admissions, Parks signed with the Eagles to effectively compete for Jenkins’ former role alongside ex-perimeter cornerback Jalen Mills. While it’s anyone’s guess who will ultimately fill that role this fall, as the Eagles also drafted hybrid strong safety/slot cornerback K’Von Wallace in the fourth round, having the man himself break down a role he effectively made his own over four years in Schwartz’s scheme has to give Parks a leg up, right?
Then again, Jenkins reportedly played a part in Mills’ decision to return to Philly, as the 32-year-old reportedly gave the LSU product his blessing to take over his role at strong safety, so who exactly will start opposite McLeod, even if the Eagles run the Big Nickle as their base package in 2020, is anyone’s guess. After suffering through a slew of injuries that left players like Marcus Epps, Craig James, and Andrew Sendejo playing significant snaps in 2019, I guess it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
If the Eagles really do have too many defensive backs, they can always trade one mid-season a la Johnathan Cyprien for Duke Riley in 2019.
Is it possible that yours truly – and a healthy segment of Philadelphia Eagles Twitter – have read a bit too far into this potentially meaningless workout? Yeah, that’s totally possible, but I think it’s noteworthy. While some players would understandably want nothing to do with members of a team who effectively cut them to save a few bucks, Malcolm Jenkins has proven yet again that he’s a fantastic leader of men who is more than willing to help a player he barely knows learn a role he perfected. I think that deserves a ton of respect.