Philadelphia Eagles Rookie Sydney Brown: Time to Take Shrinkwrap Off?

The Philadelphia Eagles need to get talented rookie safety Sydney Brown in the mix on the back end.

PHILADELPHIA - If not Sunday against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium, then when?

The ultimate end game at safety for the Philadelphia Eagles is no secret. The pairing of second-year find Reed Blankenship and athletic rookie Sydney Brown has the making of a potential top-tier duo for years on the back end of a Vic Fangio-styled defense focused on coverage and communication.

Blankenship, a 2022 undrafted free agent out of Middle Tennessee State, has already seized his spot as a living indictment on the NFL's evaluation process. Even the Eagles shouldn’t be immune to that criticism either because they secured Blankenship for a $5,000 promise before stumbling over a player who is already above average at his position by Year 2.

Brown arrives with a higher pedigree as a third-round “Red Star” player, penciled in as part of the defensive plan. Only a handful of players get the Philadelphia "Red Star" designation each year, an all-encompassing evaluation that not only includes football acumen but everything off the field as well.

A London, Ontario, native whose twin brother Chase was a fifth-round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in April as a running back, Brown is somewhat of a projection by Philadelphia because of the role he played in college at Illinois, essentially a hybrid safety/linebacker who created havoc near the line of scrimmage.

“If you really look at my tape from college, I played in the post but it’s just different (at the pro level),” Brown told SI.com's Eagles Today in a wide-ranging discussion this week. “I mean you’re not playing sideline to sideline. You’re only in the middle of the field so there’s some stuff you gotta slow down.”

Ironically, the training Brown received with the Illini got him on the field first after the Eagles lost nickel backs Avonte Maddox and Zech McPhearson to injury and had to piecemeal things together in the slot during Week 3 against Tampa Bay.

The plan was to move All-Pro outside cornerback James Bradberry inside when needed and to supplement that with Brown in certain situations.

That idea worked beautifully as the Eagles’ defense stymied Baker Mayfield and Co.. allowing only 174 total yards and 133 passing.

Brown, meanwhile, played 12 snaps, 11 in the slot, and excelled with a stellar 86.9 grade in coverage per Pro Football Focus.

“I love being close to the line of scrimmage,” Brown admitted when discussing his time at Illinois. “Like a big nickel rotating down into the box. Like a baby linebacker a lot of time. It’s just like a combination of both worlds.”

Sticking with that plan long-term was always untenable, though, because Bradberry is a special player outside the numbers. It also had to be quickly shelved in the micro as well because Brown strained his hamstring against the Bucs, costing the rookie games against Washington and at the Los Angeles Rams.

“It’s been one of those things you can’t rush pack,” Brown said, “If I can’t be me at 100 percent as much as I want to play, obviously you have to do what’s best for the team.”

Rookie safety Sydney Brown is ready for a larger role :: John McMullen/Eagles Today

Brown confirmed he’s ready to return on Sunday against the Jets, and presumably a defensive role will be waiting.

The question is where?

In Brown’s absence, veteran slot CB Bradley Roby was brought in to calm down that situation while the starter opposite Blankenship in the secondary, Justin Evans, came out of Los Angeles with a knee injury that will cost the Texas A&M product at least four games after being placed on injured reserve Friday.

“I’m doing a little bit of both,” Brown said so the cross-training as a hybrid safety/nickel is continuing just in case. “Learning both positions is a great opportunity to learn the defense (as a whole). The more you know, the more you can contribute. The more you can kind of control the defense and that time at nickel helps me mentally understand the entire picture of what’s going on.”

That current scenario, along with the Jets’ 32nd-ranked passing offense, is almost imploring the Eagles to take the shrinkwrap off Brown this week.

The last time Evans was out with a neck injury against Washington, the Eagles went to veteran Terrell Edmunds but Brown wasn’t available and Edmunds didn’t play all that well. Although Edmunds is a safer choice, Brown has the higher ceiling as a player with potential explosive offenses like Miami, Dallas, Kansas City, and Buffalo looming downstream.

From there is the idea of whether you would rather Brown start the learning curve against Zach Wilson or Tua Tagovailoa, Patrick Mahomes, or Josh Allen.

Behind the scenes, Brown has already seemed to have grasped what defensive coordinator Sean Desai is looking for.

“I feel like I could have made every single play (in college) no matter where you put me,” Brown said. “I still feel that way. I really think there’s more emphasis here, you’ve got to do your job and I think that’s where you can add value as a football player.

“Do your job and then what are you going to do when you get to the ball? What are you going to do to make a play within the defense? What are you going to do to be disruptive? What are you going to do to add value on the field?”

That’s where Brown’s playmaking mindset kicks in.

“I think that’s where that million-mile-an-hour mindset comes from is, I just want to do something more," said Brown. "… But, you’ve got to do your job first and I think I’ve made a lot of growth in that area of my game and understanding what my 1/11th is.”

It’s time to get the talented Brown on the field.

“I came in here not understanding the defense,” Brown admitted. “Literally didn’t know how to play the techniques. It was just so different from what I was used to in college so it was an adjustment from that standpoint. But, the moment I kind of got the grasp and really started to understand what was going on I felt really comfortable.

“My whole thing is if I’m better tomorrow than I was today and I’m going in the right direction. I just kind of keep that growth mindset.”