How Safety Instantly Improves For Eagles With Cooper DeJean No Longer At Outside CB

Cooper DeJean isn’t going to be playing outside cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles this season, per Vic Fangio.

The Eagles don’t need DeJean to play on the outside this year, not with Tariq Woolen on a one-year deal and Jonathan Jones in the fold. Philadelphia has a CB2 to line up opposite of Quinyon Mitchell, and are set there.

DeJean can concentrate on the slot, where he can play the overwhelming majority of the snaps. Not only does this make the already elite Eagles pass defense better, it makes the entire unit better.

This is a massive win for the Eagles, in multiple aspects. DeJean can concentrate on playing the slot, but he’s also going to be field in another position in the secondary.

Fangio already confirmed this spring DeJean will play safety in a base defense, and the Eagles will take Marcus Epps (or whoever wins the job) off the field for DeJean.

“I’ve been around it, and I feel like I’ve gotten to learn all the roles in this defense pretty well,” DeJean said last month. “So, I’m excited for the challenge, just trying to perfect that position now rather than going back and forth from safety, to nickel to corner last year.”

DeJean playing safety is a welcome development for the Eagles, and immensely improves a position that is arguably the weakest on the roster.

DeJean’s role at safety

What the Eagles currently plan to do at safety is have DeJean there in a base defense. DeJean would line up opposite of Andrew Mukuba and Marcus Epps would head to the sideline.

In a base defense, DeJean wouldn’t be able to play the slot as the Eagles would have two cornerbacks on the field — Quinyon Mitchell and Tariq Woolen.

The Eagles don’t run a base defense often, as Fangio prefers to run it less than 20% of the time. This is a way to keep DeJena on the field at all times and make the safety position better by having the three most talented cornerbacks on the field — Mitchell, Woolen, and DeJean.

If DeJean can play safety, why not play him there?

What this means for Marcus Epps

The Eagles do have some depth issues when it comes to safety. Epps is already a questionable starter next to Mukuba — and the Eagles haven’t brought in competition for that starting job yet.

If Epps wins the job and DeJean plays base, it actually makes sense to have Epps play safety and take him off the field for DeJean. The Eagles are still loaded at cornerback in a nickel defense with DeJean in the slot, and Mitchell and Woolen on the outside.

Basically, they can survive with Mukuba and Epps making plays. DeJean is a reason to keep the best players on the field.

In a nickel defense, that includes Epps. In a base defense, that will be DeJean.

How this makes the safety position better

About the depth of the position…

Having DeJean as the “No. 3 option” at safety is better than the alternative. If DeJean doesn’t play safety, Michael Carter II or J.T. Gray are the front runners for that job. Carter is still learning safety (previously played the slot) and Gray is more of a special teams standout.

Having a security blanket for Carter isn’t a bad thing as he continues to learn the position. The Eagles may need him at safety at some point this season, or in the slot if injuries cause DeJean to move to safety.

Cole Wisniewski is a seventh-round rookie and Maximus Pulley is an undrafted free agent, so both players are relative unknowns. The Eagles could still try to improve at safety this summer, but DeJean is a good fall back option to extend the depth at the position.

The Eagles probably should make a move, but DeJean playing safety is a reason to preserve the cash and cap space. If DeJean is on the field at all times, it helps the Eagles going forward.