The easy thing for the Philadelphia Eagles to do after last season would be to start making players switch positions just for the sake of making position switches.
Such was the success of moving Zack Baun from edge rusher to inside linebacker, where he became an NFL All-Pro and Pro Bowler in his first season at the position.
The smart thing would be … to not do that.
In this case, the Eagles should try to keep second-year cornerback Cooper DeJean at nickel cornerback or move him to outside cornerback. That means not moving him to safety, even on a part time basis, as defensive coordinator Vic Fangio suggested was happening in his first remarks to the media since winning Super Bowl LIX on February 9.
“And then in our base package, we’ll find a spot for him — either at corner or safety,” Fangio said on June 3.
DeJean, a second round pick in the 2024 NFL draft, became the Eagles’ starting nickel cornerback in Week 6 and was there through their win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl win, where he returned an interception 38 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.
While Fangio might be a little gassed up on his success moving Baun, a position switch might hamper DeJean’s development more than anything else at this point.
“DeJean practicing in base defense, at corner and safety, signifies two developments for the 2025 Eagles defense,” Philly Voice’s Geoff Mosher wrote on June 3. “First, it means DeJean is likely to play all the snaps and no longer get subbed out as Fangio shows a commitment to getting his best personnel on the field at all times. It’s a tall order for DeJean, who’ll be moving around the defense depending on down and distance, although the majority of his snaps would still come at nickelback.”
Little Risk Associated With Baun’s Position Switch
Baun was a player who had already tried and failed at another position and was essentially a no-risk free agent on a 1-year, $1.6 million contract when he moved spots. Remember, the Eagles had already signed former NFL All-Pro Devin White to start at that linebacker spot before Baun beat him out.
While Fangio’s abilities as a defensive coordinator are beyond reproach, when it comes to making big picture personnel decisions, this seems like a primo time for head coach Nick Sirianni or general manager Howie Roseman to step in and tell him to slow his roll.
DeJean seems like he’s on the verge of stardom at cornerback.
So, what’s the point of moving him to safety in his second season?
How’s that one song go? “Cooper DeJean is not a safety … “
More Decision Making Powers for Fangio = Not Good
Let’s not forget Fangio is the same guy who went 19-30 as the Denver Broncos head coach over 3 seasons from 2019 to 2021 before he was fired. It was a period most notable for Denver being forced to start wide receiver Kendall Hinton at quarterback for one game in 2020.
Maybe the best approach here, for Fangio, is to leave the big decisions to other people.
