With Super Bowl 60 officially in the books, the Philadelphia Eagles are beginning to gear up for the offseason, starting with the NFL scouting combine later this month and then free agency in March.
The Eagles will look to add cost-effective talent on both sides of the ball in free agency, along with re-signing a few key players on the defensive side of the ball. Jaelan Phillips, Nakobe Dean, and Reed Blankenship are just some of the key free agents that could return to Philly in 2026 or play elsewhere next season.
In the case of Blankenship especially, GM Howie Roseman may already have his mind made up on an alternative in free agency or the draft.
Eagles Must Figure Out Reed Blankenship Conundrum Ahead of Free Agency
The 26-year-old Blankenship has exceeded all expectations as an undrafted free agent coming out of Middle Tennessee State.
Blankenship went from playing in 10 games and starting in four as a rookie in 2022 to becoming a full-time starter in 2023. The 6-foot-1, 203-pound safety has never relinquished his role, and in fact has been a steady force in the secondary despite the changes around him.
The former UDFA stepped into a new role this season as the veteran/leader in the secondary, with C.J. Gardner-Johnson being traded to the Houston Texans last offseason. Blankenship did not skip a beat as he had 83 combined tackles, four pass deflections, a forced fumble, and an interception across 16 starts.
The Eagles needed Blankenship’s steadying presence as the CB2 spot was in question to start the year, and then Philadelphia lost Andrew Mukuba to a season-ending injury in November.
That said, the veteran safety wasn’t the best with his tackling, which has been a constant issue since he hit the pros. Blankenship posted a ridiculous 10 missed tackles this season, giving him 35 for his career.
The vet was okay when it came to stopping the run, posting a 73.9 run defense grade, per Pro Football Focus. But the safety’s pass coverage skills were atrocious, as he had a 32.7 grade, ranking him 97th among 98 eligible safeties.
It also doesn't help that one of the last plays we remember from the veteran safety is him being caught out of position on a trick play in the wild-card game against the San Francisco 49ers.
According to PFF, the veteran defensive back was credited with a 115.6 passer rating when in coverage and three touchdowns allowed this season, further painting a bleak picture when it comes to weekly coverage in the secondary.
For the Eagles, they have to weigh whether Blankenship’s coverage skills can improve. Spotrac projects the 26-year-old’s calculated market value as a two-year, $14.4M deal with an AAV of $7.2 million. That might be slightly too rich for the Eagles, considering that they’re only projected to have $20.5 million in cap space (per OverTheCap) and Blankenship comes with concerning coverage skills.
The team could easily explore a free-agent option in the $4-5 million per year range, or target the position in the draft as well for someone on a cheap multi-year deal. They may also toy with putting Michael Carter II there, considering he's an in-house option the Eagles liked enough to trade for and who has positional flexibility.
Blankenship absolutely deserves to cash in after his meteoric rise as a UDFA, but that reality likely means Philly will be considering a new starter in 2026.