Philadelphia Eagles Could Struggle to Upgrade at Safety in 2015 Offseason

When the Philadelphia Eagles re-signed Nate Allen to a one-year contract last offseason, it was in part for lack of better options at safety. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but 2015 could be more of the same.

The Eagles will likely turn over every stone in free agency, just as they did last year before eventually relenting to Allen a week after the market opened. No doubt, they’ll add a safety at some point during the draft as well.

Either way, there’s no guarantee the Birds can find a superior alternative to Allen to start opposite Malcolm Jenkins at safety in ’15.

That may sound like blasphemy to those who watched Allen participate in the NFL’s 31st-ranked pass defense last season. He certainly played a role in Philadelphia allowing a league-leading 18 completions of 40 yards or more—three more than the next closest team.

YR	TKL	PD	INT	FF
2014	62	5	4	1
2013	82	5	1	1
2012	73	4	0	0
2011	59	7	2	0
2010	48	8	3	1

Allen clearly has his flaws. The 2010 second-round pick still is not the most instinctive safety. A five-year veteran, Allen has never been a huge playmaker, although he did finish last season with a career-high four interceptions. Simply put, he can be beat.

He’s not nearly as bad as his reputation, either. Actually, Allen performed quite competently in 2013, which is why the Eagles were confident in rolling with him for another year. He’s generally a solid tackler and can hold his own in man-to-man coverage.

2014 rightly shook people’s confidence in Allen after all those big plays over the top, but the reality is improving upon him won’t be easy.

Sure, there’s free agency, so let’s begin whittling down the field. The Eagles prefer tall, lengthy players—usually 6’0” or over—in the secondary. They don’t often invest in aging players across the board, so strike 30-year-olds or anybody even approaching that age off the list. And the defensive scheme demands a safety who can play man-to-man, so just forget about those in-the-box run-stuffers and the like.

Oh, and the Eagles haven’t demonstrated they are inclined to allocate a ton of money to a free-agent safety pretty much ever, so if there is a big name out there, don’t expect the team to be in hot pursuit.

Steven Senne/Associated Press

What we’re left with is a handful of names, some more appealing than others, who may or may not even be free agents by the time the market opens on March 10.

New England’s Devin McCourty, who reportedly is likely to remain a Patriot and would command serious coin to boot. Denver’s Rahim Moore, who also had a penchant for getting beat deep throughout his tenure with the Broncos. Houston’s Kendrick Lewis, formerly of the Kansas City Chiefs, who rebounded in ’14 with the Texans but the average fan probably couldn’t pick out of a lineup.

These are examples of players who may represent upgrades should they become available. But are they significant upgrades on expensive, long-term contracts when a player like Allen will likely be available to sign another cheap, one-year deal to serve as a stopgap?

Given that the Eagles also figure to be throwing money at cornerback, outside linebacker and wide receiver this offseason—to name a few—what kind of commitment are they willing to make at safety? There will be a discussion, to say the very least.

Nor is the draft likely to produce immediate aid. It’s such a cerebral position that it’s difficult for a rookie to come in and make a positive impact, anyway.

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

It doesn’t help that this isn’t the best year to be looking for a safety in the draft. Aside from Alabama’s Landon Collins, who is likely to be well off the board before Philadelphia’s selection at No. 20, there doesn’t appear to be another NFL-ready safety out there.

That’s not to say eventual help couldn’t be found in the draft, or somebody who could even compete with Allen for the job in camp. But the Eagles also can’t count on it. Plus, aside from the cost, the same checklist from above applies, which means not just any player fills the hole.

The good news is the Eagles probably don’t need to make a decision on Allen right away. He sat on free agency for a full week last year before re-signing, and that was coming off of a better campaign.

The Eagles will rightfully dig deep and try to find a permanent replacement for Allen one way or the other—it’s just far from a given that actually happens. So maybe hold off on rejoicing for Allen’s departure until the team actually unearths a replacement, because the possibility certainly exists for yet another tour.