Report: Blake Countess, Eagles Restructure Contract After Signing off Waivers

On May 2, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Blake Countess had been waived by the Los Angeles Rams after the 25-year-old refused to take a pay cut. Six days later, the Philadelphia Eagles, who claimed him off of waivers, have reportedly decided to reward their new safety with a restructured contract extension.

NBC Sports Philadelphia's Reuben Frank broke the news on Wednesday afternoon. An excerpt from his report: 

Financial details of the new deal weren't immediately available, but the significant part is that the Eagles now control his rights through 2020 instead of 2019. 

Countess's 2019 base salary, originally $2.025 million, was lowered, although details of that reduction weren't immediately available. The restructure likely includes playing-time and performance-based incentives so Countess has a chance to make up the salary he's losing.

Countess didn't play a ton on defense for the Rams, but the Eagles have a huge need for young safety talent behind starters Malcolm Jenkins, who is 31, and Rodney McLeod, who turns 29 next month and is only signed through the end of this season.

Countess was drafted in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL draft by Philadelphia out of Auburn, but the team released him after training camp that year. 

The Rams then signed Countess to their practice squad, and he appeared in five games in 2016. He then went on to appear in all 16 games for the Rams in both 2017 and 2018, while only starting four times in his career.

Countess has two career NFL interceptions. 

The 5'10, 185-pound defensive back began his college career at Michigan before announcing his transfer to Auburn ahead of the 2015-16 campaign. Countess suited up for the Wolverines in 2011, 2013 and 2014, as he missed all of 2012 after sustaining a knee injury in the first game of the season.

His best collegiate season came in 2013, when he snagged six interceptions in 13 games to earn All-Big Ten first team honors. 

Now back with Philadelphia, Countess will look to make the same impact. Philadelphia did not draft a safety in this year's draft, and, as Frank noted, is in the market for young defensive backs to take the torch from the likes of Jenkins. 

The Eagles are also coming off of a season that saw their secondary gnawed by injuries, which required reserves to step up. Adding depth in Countess makes sense, then, especially considering Philly liked what they saw from him out of college enough to draft him.