With the one obvious need remaining at safety the Eagles made a move on Friday, adding veteran Jaquiski Tartt on a one-year contract.
Tartt has significant starting experience since arriving in San Francisco as a second-round pick in 2014. Last season he started 14 games for the 49ers and has been a first-teamer for what has typically been a solid defense for 64 of his 80 professional games.
At 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, the Samford product is more of box safety at this stage of his career. Tartt turned 30 in February and has produced over his first seven NFL seasons with 367 tackles, 18 passes defended, four sacks, and four interceptions. He also has played in six playoff games including Super Bowl LIV.
He struggled a bit last season, grading out as No. 72 of the 92 safeties who played enough to be ranked by Pro Football Focus. Tartt’s strength was run support where he was above average at No. 39 of 88, compiling 66 tackles, including five for loss. His best season on film was 2017 when he was graded as the 16th best safety in the NFL.
A college teammate of new Eagles cornerback James Bradberry, Tartt will join a safety room where veteran Anthony Harris and the emerging Marcus Epps have been penciled in as the starters with the backups being K’Von Wallace, Andre Chachere, Jared Mayden, and undrafted rookie free agent Reed Blankenship.
If defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon wants a more diverse duo there should be a good opportunity to start for Tartt as the strong safety because both Harris and Epps are both better utilized as center fielders.
Wallace is also more of a box safety but has struggled to gain a toehold early in his career while Chachere is more of a special teams player. Mayden flashed in the team’s recent OTAs while Blankenship’s goal is probably the practice squad as a long shot.
Roster Move: Eagles have agreed to terms with S Jaquiski Tartt on a one-year deal.#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/IMX8Nve9L5
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) June 17, 2022
-John McMullen covers the Eagles and the NFL for JAKIB Sports.
