Why Walter Thurmond Is Philadelphia Eagles' Best Bet at Safety

After free agency and the draft came and went and the Philadelphia Eagles never appeared to address their glaring hole at safety, it seemed the job might be Earl Wolff's by default. What a difference a month can make.

When Eagles head coach Chip Kelly addressed the media, via the team website, for the first time at OTAs, the big reveal was a major shakeup in the secondary. Wolff, it turns out, still isn't practicing after undergoing knee surgery in November. And taking first-team reps at safety alongside Malcolm Jenkins? Walter Thurmond, cornerback by trade.

Initially, Thurmond's position change was met with skepticism. Yet the more you think about it, the more you hear how well he's performing at practice, the more it actually begins to makes sense why he could be Philadelphia's best bet back there.

	YRS	GMS	STARTS	INT
J. Couplin	1	8	0	0
C. Maragos	5	62	0	0
C. Prosinski	4	56	9	1
E. Reynolds	-	0	0	0
J. Watkins	1	4	0	0
E. Wolff	2	18	7	1

Let's face it, Wolff isn't exactly a proven commodity either. The 2013 fifth-round pick played 11 games as a rookie, starting six, and looked competent at least. However, Wolff was limited all last season by the knee before going on injured reserve. To say we've seen enough to feel confident in his ability would be a stretch. The fact that he isn't 100 percent is merely the icing on the cake.

Nor are the host of relative unknowns and career reserves that Wolff was originally expected to compete against very compelling. If there's a true alternative, it has yet to show up on the field.

Sure, Thurmond has never played safety at the college or pro levels, but his NFL experience at cornerback is more helpful than some might realize, particularly his extensive work in the slot. The Eagles frequently deploy their safeties in man-to-man coverage anyway, so much of the job likely feels familiar to Thurmond.

That's what made Jenkins such a good fit in free agency last year. That's why the Eagles reportedly tried to lure Devin McCourty away from the New England Patriots. Both are converted corners who excel in coverage.

Coverage also happens to be the area Wolff needs the most improvement. When he's been healthy and on the field, Thurmond has proven to be quite capable in this department.

	GMS	TKL	PD	INT
2014	2	4	0	0
2013	12	33	6	1
2012	2	4	0	0
2011	6	12	2	0
2010	14	37	7	0

In 2013, he managed to get in 12 games, holding opposing quarterbacks to a 67.5 passer rating, according to Pro Football Focus—good for 13th in the NFL. Thurmond then played in three postseason games, helping the Seattle Seahawks win the Super Bowl.

Obviously, there will be some learning curve involved with the switch to safety, perhaps most notably with playing single-high zone. That being said, Thurmond is already earning high praise for only being on the job for a few weeks. Kelly himself described him as one of the secondary's most active players on Tuesday, per PhiladelphiaEagles.com.

"Walt's doing a really nice job," Kelly said. "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."

Of course, that's with the caveat that it's only June, so let's not get too excited just yet. Also, performance has never really been Thurmond's problem.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

If Wolff is losing ground because he's injured, it should be noted Thurmond has only suited up for 27 of a possible 71 regular-season and playoff games in the last four years with the Seahawks and New York Giants. That's not exactly the definition of dependable.

All the more reason moving Thurmond to safety makes sense. He was presumably signed this offseason to compete for the No. 2 cornerback job across from Byron Maxwell, but that was especially worrisome. Safety typically isn't quite as vital of an area. Plus with veterans Nolan Carroll and Brandon Boykin and second-round draft pick Eric Rowe all competing for that vacancy, Thurmond may have been lost in the shuffle regardless.

That would be very disappointing, because the Eagles are actually paying Thurmond a fairly sizable chunk of change—$3.25 million, according to Spotrac. That's a lot of money to pay a backup or even a nickel cornerback.

Ultimately, Thurmond will have to prove he truly is the best option to start at safety this summer in training camp and preseason. However, with Wolff hurting and a curiosity, it's starting to look like it might be Thurmond's job to lose. And surprisingly, that doesn't seem like a bad thing for the Eagles.