Eagles Sign Denver Broncos Safety, Adding Even More Intrigue To The Position

The Eagles won't rush Caden Sterns to practice, but the safety room seems stronger with the development of Tristin McCollum, James Bradberry, Avonte Maddox, and Andre' Sam.

Safety Caden Sterns was signed by the Eagles. / Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

PHILADELPHIA – The Eagles safety position got a little more intriguing with the signing of a former safety from the Denver Broncos.

It wasn’t Justin Simmons, but Caden Sterns.

Sterns is working his way back from a torn patellar tendon that limited him to one game last year. He played just five games in 2022 due to a shoulder injury suffered in Week 5 that season.

Still, he is just 24, so the Eagles are taking a risk, but one with a high reward if he can prove he is healthy and can return to the form that he flashed as a rookie with two picks and getting two more last year in the five games he played before his season was shut down with the shoulder.

Just a few days ago, Sterns was released by the Carolina Panthers after failing a physical.

“He was a good player, moved well, had good instincts, good ball skills, had a good feel for the game,” said Fangio, who was the Broncos’ head coach when they drafted Sterns in the fifth round out of Texas in 2021.

“We just need to see where he's at physically. He's only played five games in the last two years, I believe. I don't believe you'll see him out here on the practice field at least for a week or so. So, we need to see where he is physically, how he's moving around, and then go from there.”

Sterns was out early for the Eagles’ practice on Sunday wearing a No. 37 Eagles hoodie.

With or without Sterns, the Eagles’ safety position is becoming crowded with possibility.

Tristin McCollum played well in the preseason opener at the Baltimore Ravens, collecting four tackles and making a nice tackle on a kickoff return, James Bradberry seems to be getting the hang of transitioning from cornerback to safety, Avonte Maddox is taking more and more reps there, and undrafted free agent Andre’ Sam is beginning to look more comfortable in transitioning from LSU to the NFL.

Avonte Maddox meets with the media during the Philadelphia Eagles' minicamp. / By Ed Kracz/SI Eagles

“It’s been getting better every day,” said Maddox about his work at safety. “I’ve been working a lot at the safety spot. It’s been valuable for me because I need the reps, seeing it a little bit different. But it’s making sure I get the fundamentals and the footwork down. I know all the calls. I know where I’m supposed to be at the moment, and I know where all my teammates are supposed to be.”

Fangio likes what he has seen of Bradberry at safety and the chances of him still being on the team when the roster gets trimmed to 53 players seem to be growing.

“He's doing pretty damn good there,” said the coach who doesn’t hand out praise for the sake of handing out praise. “He's got a good feel for football, which has carried over to the safety position for him. I think he understands the game from a high level through his experience and through his intelligence, and it's helped him in the transition to safety. He's been doing a good job.”

Adding more intrigue to the position are Sydney Brown, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and possibly rookie Cooper DeJean.

Brown’s rehab from last year’s ACL injury seems to be progressing well, but there is no timetable for his return from the PUP list, and Gardner-Johnson missed his third straight practice on Sunday with a shoulder injury.

DeJean has the versatility to play safety, but got most of his work in the slot and at outside cornerback during the spring.

He was expected to miss three weeks at the start of camp with a hamstring injury, so his return could happen sometime this week with the most likely day being Saturday after the Eagles return to practice following Thursday night's game against the New England Patriots.

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