The Philadelphia Eagles have some tough decisions to make in free agency, but the Dallas Cowboys could very much get in the way of that.
After already stealing away defensive backs coach Christian Parker to be the defensive coordinator, The Landry Hat writer Jared A’Latorre had a suggestion on who Parker should ask the Cowboys to sign in free agency. A'Latorre likes the Cowboys to target Eagles safety Reed Blankenship to wear the star on his helmet instead of the Eagles' wing.
"Parker helped develop Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean into first-team All-Pro defensive backs. Eagles players know exactly what Dallas is getting with Parker, making the Cowboys an ideal second stop for the four-year pro out of Middle Tennessee.
That isn't to say the Cowboys should hand Blankenship a blank check. Nor should he be expected to remedy all of the problems in the secondary. However, if Dallas -- and more importantly, Parker -- view him as a worthwhile addition, Jerry Jones shouldn't think twice.
He should want every last strand of the Eagles' championship DNA."
Eagles could disastrously lose out on Reed Blankenship to the Cowboys
It was far from a great season for Blankenship in 2025, but he was a proven leader for a defense that needed it the most. In 16 games, Blankenship racked up 83 tackles, four pass deflections, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one interception. Pro Football Focus had him graded out at 46.5, ranking 92nd out of 98 safeties in the NFL.
People might have their feelings about PFF and its grading system, but it isn't completely off base. The ranking might be a bit too low, but it was a down season for Blankenship, as he just wasn't as good in coverage as he had been over the last two years.
With that being said, Blankenship is still an important free agent that the Eagles must bring back, as they also could lose out on Jaelan Phillips and Nakobe Dean. Andrew Mukuba played well in his rookie season, but Blankenship could really be used by a very young secondary that also includes Mitchell and DeJean, both completing just their second year in the NFL.
Read more: Looking back at Eagles' mostly one-and-done free agent signings from 2025
The reality is that Parker is going to target Eagles defenders to join him, since there is familiarity in the system he will most likely use. Philly has to make sure Dallas keeps their hands off of Blankenship and wins that bidding war at all costs.