Eagles' latest underdog story feels familiar for a reason
If you didn't know anything about him and watched him play, you might be tempted to think that Reed Blankenship was some mid-round draft steal. The Philadelphia Eagles' safety carries himself like a guy with a chip on his shoulder because he didn't think he should have heard his name announced as late as it was.
But alas, that isn't Reed's story at all. He's a former undrafted rookie free agent who was passed over, underestimated, and forgotten. From night one until the selection of Brock Purdy, every NFL team ignored him several times during seven rounds of the 2022 selection meeting.
There's an old saying, though, something about the losses of others being another's gain. Yeah... That's it! Now, that sounds like more of a Reed Blankenship style of story. He worked his hind parts off and made the 53-man roster, and since day one, he has played like he has a point to prove.
Time has flown. He's in a contract season, the final year of a rookie deal he inked ahead of the 2022 NFL season.
The Eagles may be reliving Reed Blankenship's story through Andre' Sam
Andre' Sam isn't the owner of a name most pro football fans would recognize as easily as 'Blankenship'. He has a similar story, though. He also went undrafted. He also plays safety... He has also played well enough to convince coaches to keep him around.
Sam was waived as part of the final roster cuts on August 26, 2024. He was re-signed to the practice squad two days later and eventually saw his first in-game action when elevated to the active roster in Week 14. His NFL debut came against the Carolina Panthers. He made one tackle. He and Blankenship both won their first Super Bowl this past February: Blankenship as a starter and Sam as a scout team member.
So, why are we comparing these two? Based on the pedigree and their standing, it would seem there isn't enough to do so, but they're more alike than you may realize. Reed has already proven he belongs, and Sam may do so this summer.
Philadelphia currently carries four listed safeties on their 90-man roster and two defensive backs who are basically safeties anyway. Rookie second-rounder Andrew Mukuba is still unsigned, but he'll make the team. If we had to construct an Eagles depth chart right now, Sam would be the sixth safety on a defensive unit that will probably only carry five on the 53-man roster.
Right now, it feels like Sam will be among the tough roster cuts, like his ceiling is another stay on the practice squad. He's behind Blankenship, Mukuba, Sydney Brown, Tristin McCollum, and Lewis Cine on the depth chart, but he's ahead of Maxen Hook.
The Eagles organization likes Brown more than Vic Fangio does. We have also seen Fangio mention McCollum without needing to be prompted, but he gave more first-team reps to Sam than McCollum during the spring practices that were open to the media.
There's so much left to work out, but that's what this time of year is all about. Might Sam have a little 'Reed Blankenship' in him, or are we making something out of nothing by even assuming he could be a dark horse who could catapult himself onto the roster? Time will tell. Enjoy the show because this probably won't be the last time we talk about the Eagles' safety competition in detail.
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