Eddie Jackson, an All-Pro, to Join the Eagles? Philadelphia Should Not Fall for the Big-Name Trap
It was a long time ago, but Eddie Jackson was a starter for the Chicago Bears under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Eddie Jackson was a starter for the Chicago Bears in the distant past, working under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Consider Fangio. Before returning to Philadelphia to take over a stop unit that sorely needs an infusion of youth, speed, and athleticism, Fangio worked as a consultant for the Eagles in the run-up to Super Bowl LVII following the 2022 season. In 2023, Fangio became the highest-paid coordinator in NFL history after leaving Chicago to take over as head coach in Denver.
Jackson, 30, played with the Bears for the whole of that period, but he never achieved the same success as he had when he was a key component of Fangio’s plan.
Jackson was ranked as the NFL’s best safety by Pro Football Focus in 2018. Following Fangio, the Alabama graduate has only had one season since that time that was better than mediocre—the 2022 campaign was an anomaly in which he finished No. 13 out of 88 safeties who performed well enough to be rated.
The other finishes, which made it simple for Chicago to go on, were No. 44 of 83 in 2019, after his first All-Pro season without Fangio, No. 63 of 94 in 2020, No. 65 of 92 in 2021, and No. 76 of 95 in the previous season.
Getting go of Whitehair, who was also a Pro Bowl player, and Jackson allowed the Bears to save $21.7 million in salary space.
The Eagles need assistance at safety, but even if you assume that Jackson would perform better under Fangio’s direction, it would be unrealistic to expect the 30-year-old to reverse a considerable career slide.
In the best-case scenario, Jackson will only be a temporary boost; perhaps he is a better Band-Aid than veteran trade acquisition Kevin Byard, a former two-time All-Pro himself.
Ultimately, the Eagles should aim to find a longer-term solution. Sydney Brown’s late-season ACL tear complicates things a little, but early swingers at the position should take it into consideration.
Jackson should only be targeted as a backup plan in case Howie Roseman’s more sensible options are exhausted.
Leave a Reply