Inside the Iggles
FanSided

Walter Thurmond Receiving Praise From Many At Safety

By Anthony DiBona

facebooktwitterreddit

When Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly announced that Walter Thurmond was transitioning from cornerback to safety, it was quite a surprise. Thurmond doesn’t have any previous experience at safety and has spent most of his career in the NFL as a nickel cornerback. But since making the move, Thurmond seems to be impressing everyone with his play on the field at his new found position.

Yesterday, former NFL safety and scout turned ESPN analyst, Louis Riddick, attended Eagles OTAs and tweeted out some of his thoughts following the open practice session. Riddick talked about how the Eagles have a specific build that they look for at each position, which we knew already. But he also tweeted out this comment about Thurmond’s play that stood out to me:

Usually it wouldn’t really matter what an ESPN analyst would say while observing practice, but as both a former NFL safety and scout, Riddick knows what to look for on the field. If he’s saying that Thurmond is standing out and making plays on the field, especially at a position he’s only played for a short amount of time, that speaks volumes. But Riddick isn’t the only one that’s been impressed by Thurmond’s play on the field.

Chip Kelly also pointed out Thurmond’s play on the field as well, during his press conference earlier today, according to Les Bowen of Philly.com:

"Of Thurmond, Kelly said: “Walt’s done a really nice job. He’s probably been our most productive guy in the secondary in terms of pass breakups and strips and things like that. He always seems to be around the ball, so he seems like he’s fitting in there right now. But again, we still don’t have pads on, we’re still evaluating guys with helmets and shorts and T-shirts. But he’s been very productive so far.”"

Although it’s still way too early to say whether or not Thurmond will be the team’s starter opposite of Malcolm Jenkins, he appears to be the favorite. He’s clearly making a strong impression on the field and that bodes well for his chances at becoming a starter. About a week ago, I wrote in detail about how Thurmond has the tools to play safety in the NFL. But it’s nice to see him actually put it all together on the field.

In fact, Thurmond was even making plays during practice earlier today while it was open to reporters. Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation noted that Thurmond forced a fumble while wide receiver Jordan Matthews was running near the sideline:

Thurmond clearly has talent and maybe this move to safety is a “match made in heaven” that both he and the Eagles needed. He certainly checks all of the boxes in terms of what they look for in a safety, comparing favorably to players such as New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty and Green Bay Packers defensive back Damarious Randall in terms of his experience at multiple positions in the secondary and his size.

Kelly and the Eagles are just hoping that Thurmond could be half the player that McCourty has been for the Patriots. Already receiving first-team reps at safety, Thurmond is certainly on track to begin training camp as the team’s second starting safety. Hopefully he can stay on track and run away with the starting job.

Next: Fantasy Football: Assessing Value Of Eagles' Players In 2015

More from Inside the Iggles

Home/Eagles News