Eagles trade with Titans for All-Pro safety Kevin Byard

The Eagles traded for All-Pro safety Kevin Byard on Monday, bolstering their banged-up secondary ahead of next week’s trade deadline.

The deal with the Tennessee Titans cost the Eagles fifth- and sixth-round draft picks in 2024 as well as veteran safety Terrell Edmunds. Edmunds, who signed with the Eagles in the offseason after five years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, started the last two games for the team as injuries left the safety position barren.

The 30-year-old Byard is a two-time All-Pro who most recently earned the honor in 2021. He has 27 career interceptions, including four last season and five the year before. His eight interceptions in 2017 led the NFL and earned him his first All-Pro nod.

A Philadelphia native who attended high school in Georgia, Byard quickly became one of the most productive safeties in the league after he was drafted in the third round out of Middle Tennessee State in 2016. He hasn’t missed a game in his eight-year career and has logged at least 80 tackles in each of the last six seasons.

Byard has 47 total tackles and a fumble recovery so far this year but has yet to record an interception or pass breakup on 21 targets, according to Pro Football Focus.

» READ MORE: Sean Desai was the MVC — most valuable coach — as the Eagles defense shut down the Dolphins

He signed a five-year extension in 2019 worth up to $70 million, but renegotiated his deal before the start of the 2023 season to lower his base salary. Because his base salary was just $4 million, the veteran safety should only count for about $2.4 million against the Eagles salary cap this season. He has a base salary of $9.6 million for next year but none of it will be guaranteed, which will grant the Eagles some flexibility if they need it.

Byard represents a significant upgrade at the safety spot opposite Reed Blankenship, which has been a revolving door through seven games for the Eagles. The team went into the season thin at safety and lost Week 1 starter Justin Evans to injury a few weeks ago. Blankenship, the only consistent starter throughout the summer, was sidelined with a rib injury for the Eagles’ 31-17 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. The Eagles started third-round rookie Sydney Brown in Blankenship’s place alongside Edmunds against the Dolphins.

» READ MORE: Eagles rookie Reed Blankenship raises cows in rural Alabama and went from undrafted to the Super Bowl

Blankenship, also a former Middle Tennessee State star, has become a steady presence on the back end of the defense this year. Once the 24-year-old returns, the Eagles will have two reliable starters with complementary skill sets who can both make plays on the ball.

According to PFF, Byard has logged 43% of his snaps as a deep safety, 34% in the box, and 17% as a nickel cornerback. Under new defensive coordinator Sean Desai, the Eagles have used a mixture of single-high and two-high safety looks with Blankenship often the deep safety, making Byard an ideal running mate.

This marks the sixth time in seven seasons that Eagles general Howie Roseman has made a deal in the lead-up to the trade deadline. The Eagles have been busy on the free-agency market the last few weeks as well, signing veteran star receiver Julio Jones last week and slot cornerback Bradley Roby a few weeks prior.