Eagles Counter Loss of CJ Gardner-Johnson by Signing Justin Evans

The 2017 second-round pick is expected to add competition to a revamped safety room, but the expectation is they aren't done adding to the position

After losing starting safeties Marcus Epps and CJ Gardner-Johnson in free agency, the Eagles started to remake their safety room Monday by agreeing to terms with Justin Evans, a 2017 second-round pick in Tampa Bay who has significant starting experience in the NFL.

Evans’ career was derailed for a bit by toe and Achilles' injuries but he returned to play 15 games with four starts for New Orleans in 2022, playing 391 defensive snaps with safety/slot versatility. Evans lined up as a free safety 176 times for the Saints last season and was in the slot 125 times.

Evans, 27, was the No. 50 overall pick in 2017 out of Texas A&M. 

At 6 feet and 200 pounds, he started 11 games as a rookie and seemed like he was off and running with three interceptions. In his sophomore campaign, he started all 10 games before injuring a toe that derailed his season and had one INT and a 34-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown against New Orleans.

From there that serious turf toe injury may have contributed to a torn Achilles that kept Evans rehabbing until he made it back for the 2022 season when he proved he was finally healthy while getting significant playing time for the Saints. He was graded No. 65 of the 88 safeties who played enough to be ranked by Pro Football Focus.

In 39 career games (25 starts), Evans has four picks and 10 pass breakups and was ranked No. 68 of 87 by PFF as a rookie in 2017 and 49th of 93 the next season before getting hurt, a solid upward trend.

Without Epps and Gardner-Johnson, the Eagles’ safety unit is currently headlined by second-year undrafted free agent Reed Blankenship and fourth-year pro K’Von Wallace. 

Also on hand on futures deals are Andre Chachere, Tristin McCollum, and Marquise Blair, like Evans a one-time second-round pick when Seattle took him at No. 47 overall in 2019.

The Eagles are not done adding to the position, according to a team source.

Epps, who played 99% of the Eagles' defensive snaps last season, signed a two-year, $12 million deal with Las Vegas, while Gardner-Johnson tied for the NFL lead with six interceptions despite missing five games with a lacerated kidney.

The Eagles offered Gardner-Johnson a three-year deal early in the free agency period, according to an NFL source, but the brash safety turned it down thinking there would be big money elsewhere. 

That turned out to be a miscalculation and Gardner-Johnson was forced to sign a one-year, prove-it deal with Detroit that could be worth up to $8M late Sunday night.

Ironically, Gardner-Johnson and Evans are repped by the same agent, Kevin Conner of Universal Sports and Entertainment.

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-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Football 24/7 and a daily contributor to ESPN South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen