If the Eagles Lose McLeod, They Need to Consider Signing Eric Reid
The loss of Rodney McLeod is a lot more significant than people think.
Injuries have been far too common for the Philadelphia Eagles over the last year. And the unfortunate circumstances do not seem to be changing any time soon. It’s almost like everytime a player comes back healthy, and the team loses another one. The Eagles aren’t new to this. In fact, they were the poster boys for the ‘Next Man-Up’ slogan last season. But sometimes the saying and mentality can only get you so far, especially when you’re the defending Super Bowl Champions.
Look, the Eagles are going to get everybody’s best shot. Every team wants to be the best, so they have to beat the best. Now that the Eagles have that target on their back, there’s no way for them to be viewed as underdogs by the opposition anymore. Therefore, they need all the major workforce they can get. And with veteran safety Rodney McLeod potentially missing some significant time, the Eagles really need to figure out a short-term solution, and it’s not Corey Graham.
As a rotational guy, Graham is perfect. Not so much as a full-time starter. When the preseason was here, the Eagles were thin at safety, despite having a few young guys around with some potential. After both, Tre Sullivan and Jeremy Reaves failed to exceed expectations, and the Eagles had no choice but to roll with two backups in Graham and Deiondre Hall. And if that is the case without McLeod for a while, then it’s time for the Eagles to seriously consider signing Eric Reid.
Take the Best Guy Available:
Somewhere out there on the free agency market, there’s a 26-year-old former first-round pick with a ton of upside. We all know by now why he’s not on a roster, but that same reason wouldn’t necessarily affect the Eagles locker room. Some may be skeptical about Reid’s feelings towards Malcolm Jenkins and the player’s coalition, but other people were skeptical about Michael Bennett’s feelings towards the safety as well. And that all seemed to work out.
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You don’t have to like the move, but you have to understand why it all makes sense. Signing Reid to a one-year deal would be the most natural patch-up move for the Eagles. For a win-now team, there’s no room for error while trying to utilize players who are major question marks mixed into a struggling secondary. At least with Reid, the Eagles would know that they are getting a proven and reliable talent back at the position. If McLeod misses a lot of time, the Eagles need to make a move on the best option available.