Ahead of NFL free agency, the Philadelphia Eagles released safety Kevin Byard, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The Eagles had sent a fifth-round, a sixth-round pick, and safety Terrell Edmunds to the Tennessee Titans in October in exchange for Byard.
The move cleared over $13 million in cap space and gave the Eagles much-needed cap room. However, with Byard gone, what’s next for the Eagles at safety?
Philadelphia Eagles Release Kevin Byard After 1 Season
Before Week 8 when the Eagles were 6-1, they made a trade with the Titans to acquire Byard. In seven full seasons in Tennessee, Byard was one of the best safeties in the NFL, as he made first-team All-Pro twice and led the league in interceptions in 2017.
While Byard had his moments in Philadelphia, including intercepting Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes in the Eagles’ Week 11 win in Kansas City, his addition failed to give them the spark the team needed defensively.
In his career, Byard has 749 tackles, four sacks, 28 interceptions, and one touchdown. For the Eagles, he had 75 tackles, zero sacks, and one interception. He hits the open market at 30 years old, turning 31 before the 2024 season kicks off.
Byard signed a five-year, $70.5 million deal with the Titans back in 2019. While a majority of the deal had been played out already, he kept his contract when traded to the Eagles. The big contract he still held is how the Eagles saved over $13 million in cap space by releasing him.
What Do the Eagles Do at Safety Now?
The first thing the Eagles can do is look internally at their roster. With Byard gone, the Eagles have just three safeties under contract: Reed Blankenship, Sydney Brown, and Tristin McCollum.
While Blankenship is a returning starter and likely starter in 2024 at one of the two safety spots, Brown will be coming off a torn ACL he suffered in Week 18 of his rookie campaign against the New York Giants, and McCollum is very inexperienced.
One avenue the Eagles could take is free agency. Free agency opens up on March 13, with the legal tampering period beginning two days before. The top strong safeties available include Kamren Curl, Jordan Whitehead, Xavier McKinney, and others.
Curl and McKinney are both just 24 years old, while Whitehead is still only 26. All three played over 1,000 snaps in 2023. Curl had 115 tackles, one sack, and zero interceptions, Whitehead had 97 tackles, one sack, and four interceptions, and McKinney had 116 tackles, one sack, and three interceptions.
Some other free-agent names include Kyle Dugger, Jordan Fuller, Julian Blackmon, DeShon Elliott, Jayron Kearse, and Micah Hyde. There’s also Antoine Winfield Jr. and Budda Baker at free safety, but Winfield will likely be franchise-tagged, and Baker could be costly.
KEEP READING: Philadelphia Eagles Free Agency Predictions 2024 — Eagles Sign L’Jarius Sneed and Willie Gay, Re-Sign D’Andre Swift
The final option for the Eagles is the 2024 NFL Draft. The draft features a plethora of safeties from Rounds 1-7 that the Eagles could target. Some names include Tyler Nubin, Kamren Kinchens, Javon Bullard, Jaden Hicks, Calen Bullock, Cole Bishop, and many more.
Miss football? The 2024 NFL Draft is almost here, boss. Pro Football Network has you covered with everything from team draft needs to the Top 100 prospects available. Plus, fire up PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator to put yourself in the general manager’s seat and make all the calls!