Free-agent safeties are grabbing chairs ahead of preseason tilts starting.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reports that the Philadelphia Eagles are signing Johnathan Cyprien to a one-year contract, per a source informed of the pact. The team later confirmed the signing.
The former Tennessee Titans safety missed all of the 2018 campaign with a torn ACL. He'd garnered some interest around the league, taking visits, and the signing suggests he's at or near full health.
When healthy, Cyprien can be a force as a safety capable of steamrolling downhill versus the run, compiling 453 tackles in his first four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. A 2013 second-round pick, Cyprien's career got off to a wonky start, but he morphed into a playmaker on the backend, particularly excelling in his final season in Jacksonville.
If healthy, Cyprien represents a quality depth addition who can fill in as a third safety. The veteran mostly plays strong safety, where Malcolm Jenkins starts. Rodney McLeod is making his way back from a torn ACL and will resume his starting free-safety role (we'd heard rumblings out of camp that Andrew Sendejo struggled in coverage playing McLeod's deep-safety role).
Cyprian should add insurance at safety and owns the skillset to potentially drop down and play some dime linebacker if needed for an Eagles LB corps with question marks.
