The Philadelphia Eagles have to find reinforcements on the defensive end because that side of the field got exposed in the second half of the 2023 NFL season.
Philadelphia’s defense had been one of the league’s best the past couple of years, but they took a major step back in 2023.
Although the front seven was still causing pressure up front, the backend of the defense is where the slippage happened.
Despite having Darius Slay and James Bradberry at the corners, the Eagles were susceptible to the pass as opposing teams had no trouble scoring through the air.
Teams repeatedly targeted the secondary and Philadelphia badly needs to add some talent either via free agency of the 2024 NFL Draft.
There are several defensive backs available in free agency and the Eagles appear to be eyeing a reunion, via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
“A C.J. Gardner-Johnson reunion in Philadelphia is on my radar. The Eagles realized they missed the talented safety in the secondary,” Fowler reported, via Dov Kleiman.
The #Eagles may bring back safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, per @JFowlerESPN
“A C.J. Gardner-Johnson reunion in Philadelphia is on my radar. The Eagles realized they missed the talented safety in the secondary.”https://t.co/MYH0ihDyP6 pic.twitter.com/2Rbt9F4BvL
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 3, 2024
Gardner-Johnson was with Philadelphia in 2022 and was one of the leaders of the secondary that season.
The safety helped lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl and he would be a worthwhile addition because of his familiarity with the scheme and roster.
Gardner-Johnson spent last season with the Detroit Lions and was solid for them, though he wasn’t quite as effective as he was with Philadelphia.
A reunion makes sense for both teams on paper as Gardner-Johnson would immediately walk into a starting role, so it’ll be interesting to see how the situation plays out.
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