What does new contract really mean for Eagles’ Reed Blankenship?

[ad_1]

What does new contract really mean for Eagles’ Reed Blankenship? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Reed Blankenship has a new contract and a little bit more security in the form of nearly $4 million in guaranteed money.

What he doesn’t have is any guarantee that he’ll be a starting safety for the Eagles in 2024.

Despite the contract restructure, Blankenship is still only about the 35th-highest-paid safety in the league, and that means while the Eagles have shown that they value Blankenship, nothing else is promised. And he knows it.

“It’s all about growth,” he said Tuesday. “I still have a long way to go and I’m fortunate enough to still have some of these great teammates to teach me and some of these great coaches. And I want to take that opportunity and run with it.

“I’m excited, just so excited to be back. I know a lot of the guys are excited to be back, too.”

As an undrafted rookie in 2022, Blankenship had a minimum-wage contract, and the Eagles did the right thing by bumping him up. They didn’t really add any years because they already controlled his rights through 2025. But by including escalators they gave him a chance to significantly increase his pay in both 2024 and 2025 if he meets reachable playing-time benchmarks.

Right now, Blankenship and Chauncey-Gardner Johnson are the projected starters. Blankenship started four games in place of CJGJ in 2022 and started 15 games last year alongside a variety of since-departed safeties – Terrell Edmunds, Kevin Byard and Justin Evans – as well as rookie Sydney Brown.

But after a very good first half, Blankenship struggled the second half of the season. Like the rest of the team.

And it wouldn’t surprise anybody if Howie Roseman brings in some safety competition either with a veteran or a draft pick. Brown is out through the summer as he rehabs a torn Achilles.

Basically, the job belongs to Blankenship. But nothing is set in stone.

“I still feel like I have that chip on my shoulder,”…

[ad_2]
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/does-contract-really-mean-eagles-015128467.html

Author : NBC Sports Philadelphia

Publish date : 2024-04-04 01:51:28

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.