All Eyes Are On Fledging Eagles' Second-Year Star

Less than 10 months after his ACL surgery, Sydney Brown is back making plays for the Eagles.

Philadelphia Eagles safety Sydney Brown (21). / Caean Couto-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA - When Sydney Brown raced down the field in punt coverage to force an Austin Trammell fumble early in Sunday's 28-23 win over Jacksonville, Eagles special teams coordinator Michael Clay was beaming.

The athletic Brown, less than 10 months off an ACL injury, signaled he was back by walloping Trammell moments after the punt returner unwisely fielded a Braden Mann punt inside the Jaguars’ 20-yard-line.

Fellow gunner Kelee Ringo recovered the fumble and the Eagles offense was able to cash in two plays later to gain an early 7-0 advantage, a lead Philadelphia never lost.

"That play by Sydney was outstanding," Clay said. "[You] want to get some juice back into the stadium right there. Sydney did a great job with his release, outside release, and using his speed to carve, and it was a good enough hang time from Braden to allow him to get down there. He shot outside-in and got his helmet on the ball right there."

Someone else was paying close attention to Brown's splash play as well -- defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

“I think for inside linebackers and safeties, if they are not good special teams players, they are probably not going to be good inside linebackers or safeties, either,” Fangio said Tuesday when asked if special tems play translates when projecting players to defense. “NaVorro Bowman, his rookie year [in San Francisco], which I wasn't there with him, didn't play any defense but tore it up on special teams, and then the next year when I got there, he started tearing it up on defense.”

Clay, meanwhile, understands part of his job is to get younger players with upside to reach the ceiling for their main job descriptions.

“I tell everybody on special teams, ‘My sole goal is for you to start on offense and defense,’” said Clay. “’I want you to be the best possible player you can be whether that's starting on special teams and you get that promotion to offense and defense.’

“It's one of the greater things I can feel as a coach. You can see that from Reed Blankenship in his third year. Now he's the starter. He played a lot of special teams for us."

Clay that turned to offense.

“I had Raheem (Mostert) in San Francisco and [he] became the starting running back. I hope [Brown] gets to play that starting spot, but until that happens we're very, very happy to have him on special teams.”

For now Brown is behind Blankenship and C.J. Gardner-Johnson at safety and his potential role as a big nickel player has been put on the back burner now that rookie Cooper DeJean is excelling in the slot.

That said, in three games back from his injury, Brown has already ascended to being the top backup at safety and still can offer a different look in the slot if need be, something that means the fledgling second-year player could be one snap away from being the next man up.

"To watch Sydney prepare to get his body back was something kind of astonishing just from a physical [standpoint]," Clay said. "He had just tore that ACL in January and to come back and still running in September or October and there's always the anticipation for him to get back.

"And it's always nice, you could kind of see himself still believing in that knee getting back in that third game on grass and going out there and making a huge play and he's going to keep getting better and more comfortable."

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