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The Philadelphia Eagles addressed their weakness at cornerback this offseason with the addition of Byron Maxwell and Walter Thurmond. Brandon Boykin, Nolan Carroll II, and Jaylen Watkins also remain on the roster and could have the chance to steal a starting job.
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Philadelphia's safety position, however, isn't so clear. 2014 free agent signing Malcolm Jenkins is set to return but the starting spot next to him is currently vacated. Former starter Nate Allen signed a shockingly lucrative deal with the Oakland Raiders and wasn't likely to return anyway. Chris Maragos and Chris Prosinski seem mostly likely special teams contributor and backups. The team doesn't seem to be high on Earl Wolff and his injury history. Jerome Couplin was signed away from Detroit's practice squad late in the season and could be a long-shot to keep an eye on.
The Eagles tried to land coveted safety Devin McCourty but the Patriots' defensive back decided to stay in New England for less money than what Philadelphia offered him. Since then, the safety market has kind of dried up. There aren't a lot of great options remaining. Even worse news for the Eagles is that the 2015 NFL Draft is looking weak when it comes to the safety position.
With that said, here's a look at five players the Eagles could still target.
1) Louis Delmas
Hey, why not? The Eagles are already assembling a fine group of injury prone players. Delmas is recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered late in the season with the Miami Dolphins. He might not be fully ready by the time training camp starts but he could be ready for the season. Delmas is talented when healthy, but it's probably too big of a risk at this point. When Delmas was a free agent last year, the Eagles reportedly had "little interest" in him due to his degenerative knees.
2) Stevie Brown
The Eagles already stole a Cowboy. Why not steal a Giant? The 6-0, 213 pound Brown turns 28 in July. He played in all 16 games for the Giants last year but only started eight. Brown missed the entire 2013 due to an ACL injury, so he's yet another injury prone player the Eagles could take a shot on. Brown had eight interceptions and two forced fumbles in 2012 so he's flashed some ability.
3) Dawan Landry
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Landry, brother of LaRon, will turn 33 in late December so he's not the most attractive option for the Eagles. The 6-1, 215 pound veteran would be a stop-gap. One thing Landry has going for him is that he hasn't missed a game since 2008. Aside from that season, he's never played less than all 16 games.
4) Dwight Lowery
The 29-year-old Lowery is a free agent again after signing a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons last offseason. He played in all 16 games and started 15 of them. He's started 56 total games in his seven-year career so he has experience.
5) Danieal Manning
He played for the Houston Texans, need I say more? Manning will be 33 in August so this is another stop-gap option. Manning made five starts in 16 appearances with Houston last season.
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As you can see, the market isn't great. The Eagles won't be in a rush to sign any of these players. The best course of action for them could be to wait and sign one of these guys on the cheap.