Terrell Edmunds, Eagles agree to one-year contract

Mar 24, 2023 - 6:08 PM

The Philadelphia Eagles are signing free agent safety Terrell Edmunds to a one-year contract, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport.

The Birds were in need of safety help after losing 2022 starters C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps in free agency.

Edmunds, who turned 26 in January, brings experience to the table. The No. 28 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft logged 75 starts in 79 games played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Edmunds notched 410 total tackles, 26 passes defensed, five interceptions, five sacks, and zero forced fumbles during that five-year span. He notably overlapped with Eagles director of scouting Brandon Hunt, who was hired away from Pittsburgh last year.

Edmunds did not exactly live up to first-round expectations in Pittsburgh; the Steelers declined to pick up his fifth-year option for the 2022 season. But they ended up bringing him back on a one-year deal days before last year’s NFL Draft.

There was some thought that Edmunds would return to the Steelers on another one-year deal in 2023. But he’s headed east to the other side of the Keystone State. Here’s some quick insight on him from SB Nation’s Steelers community, Behind The Steel Curtain:

Edmunds, who was the Steelers top draft pick in 2018, has had a very steady career in Pittsburgh. While he hasn’t even had the knack for the splash play, in any capacity, which many associate with a first round pick, he absolutely has been extremely effective and reliable during his tenure with the team.

The Eagles aren’t bringing in Edmunds with the expectation that he’ll be a Pro Bowler for them. Instead, he figures to bring competency to the position as a stop-gap option with potential to be a long-term fixture if he plays well. Not totally dissimilar to the Nicholas Morrow signing the Birds made earlier this week.

Edmunds ranked 38th out of 93 safeties graded by Pro Football Focus last season (minimum 20% snaps). That’s actually 13 spots higher than where the aforementioned CJGJ finished.

The plurality of Edmunds’ snaps each season have come playing as a linebacker. He’s also been used commonly used as a slot defender and a free safety. Edmunds has regularly played on special teams as well.

This signing means the Eagles now have five safeties under contract: Edmunds, Reed Blankenship, K’Von Wallace, Justin Evans, and Andre Chachere. The team could look to add more talent at this position through the 2023 NFL Draft. For now, Edmunds and Blankenship are the front-runners to start.

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