Eagles sign former 1st-round safety from Steelers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Another safety, another one-year deal.

After losing NFL co-interception leader Chauncey Gardner-Johnson last week, the Eagles on Friday signed former 1st-rounder Terrell Edmunds, who spent the last five seasons with the Steelers. On Tuesday they signed safety Justin Evans, a former Buccaneer and Saint.

Edmunds, like Evans, signed a one-year deal, presumably at a low cost but with a chance to hit free agency again this offseason.

MORE: Eagles give Lane Johnson huge 1-year contract extension

Edmunds was the 28th pick in the 2018 draft. He was selected one pick after running back Rashaad Penny, who also signed with the Eagles last week.

In five seasons in Pittsburgh, Edmunds played in 79 games and started 75. He had five interceptions, five sacks, 15 tackles for loss and nine quarterback hits. Only three safeties have played in more games than Edmunds since 2022 – Adrian Amos, Kevin Byard and Tyrann Mathieu.

The Eagles are in the process of rebuilding the safety position after losing both 2022 starters to free agency. Marcus Epps signed with the Raiders and Gardner-Johnson with the Lions.

Pro Football Focus had Edmunds with a 69.1 grade this past season, which ranked him a respectable 38th out of 101 safeties who played at least 200 snaps. It was the second-highest grade of his five NFL seasons. His highest grade was for generating pressure, at 10th out of 101.

So the Eagles now have two veteran safeties in Evans and Edmunds, who have started a combined 100 career games, along with returning Reed Blankenship, who started four games in place of Gardner-Johnson when he was out with a lacerated kidney. K’Von Wallace, the Eagles’ 4th-round pick in 2020, is also still on the roster.

Edmunds’ father, Ferrell Edmunds, was the Dolphins’ 3rd-round pick in 1988 and spent seven years with the Dolphins and Seahawks as a tight end. His brother Tremaine Edmunds – taken 12 picks earlier in the 2018 first round – has spent his five-year career with the Bills. Another brother, Trey Edmunds, spent the 2017 through 2021 seasons with the Saints and Steelers as a running back and special teamer.

Terrell and Tremaine are the only brothers ever taken in the first round of the same draft.

After the Steelers declined to exercise Edmunds’ 5th-year option when his four-year, $10.7 million rookie contract expired after the 2021 season, Edmunds signed a one-year deal with the Steelers worth $2.5375 million.

The Eagles have now signed six outside free agents over the last two weeks – Penny, Edmunds, Evans, cornerback Greedy Williams, linebacker Nick Morrow and quarterback Marcus Mariota.

All signed one-year deals.

The Eagles also re-signed Jason Kelce, Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, James Bradberry and Boston Scott, restructured Darius Slay and added a year to Lane Johnson’s deal.

They’ve lost Javon Hargrave (49ers), T.J. Edwards (Bears), Marcus Epps (Raiders), Kyzir White (Cards), Miles Sanders (Panthers), Isaac Seumalo (Steelers), Gardner Minshew (Colts), Andre Dillard (Titans) and Zach Pascal (Cards).