Having locked up their offensive nucleus in February, the Philadelphia Eagles are using March's free-agency period to patch up the holes on their defense.
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On Tuesday, the Eagles agreed to terms with former New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins on a three-year, $16.25 million contract with $8.5 million in guarantees, NFL Media's Albert Breer reported.
The team confirmed the agreement via its official Twitter account.
With college and NFL experience as a cornerback and nickelback, Jenkins' versatility is a valuable commodity in today's pass-heavy era featuring more spread offenses. His coverage skills are a major upgrade on the duo of Nate Allen and Patrick Chung, who were burned frequently.
It comes as no shock that the Eaglesreleased Chung in a corresponding move.
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Prior to Tuesday's deal, Jenkins was ranked No. 29 on Around The League's free-agent tracker.
Now that Jenkins is in the fold, the Eagles figure to be out of the market for free agent Jairus Byrd, who played under coach Chip Kelly at Oregon.
In a surprising twist, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Byrd's first visit will be with Jenkins' former team in New Orleans.
In the latest edition of the "Around The League Podcast," the guys study the free agency picture with the help of NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport.