Safety unpinned
Gardner-Johnson signs one-year, $8 million contract with Lions
C.J. Gardner-Johnson agreed to a one-year contract with the Detroit Lions on Sunday night, leaving the Eagles after one productive season.
The 25-year-old safety will make $8 million next season, according to league sources confirming several media reports, on what essentially serves as a prove-it deal despite being one of the most impactful players at his position with the Eagles last year. Gardner-Johnson’s six interceptions were tied for first in the NFL even though he played in just 12 games because of a lacerated kidney suffered mid-season.
The Eagles traded a fifth- and a sixthround pick to the New Orleans Saints for Gardner-Johnson last August just before the start of the regular season.
He was a slot cornerback for New Orleans during the first three years of his career, but switched to safety with the Eagles hoping to improve his market value after the Saints and him couldn’t agree on a contract extension.
No such market formed for Gardner-Johnson last week, though. The Eagles made a multiyear offer to Gardner-Johnson early in the week, but the safety was seeking a better deal. While Gardner-Johnson surveyed the market, the Eagles re-signed All-Pro cornerback James Bradberry to a three-year, $38 million contract and signed veteran corner Darius Slay to a two-year extension as well.
After news of Gardner-Johnson’s extension became public, Gardner-Johnson’s agency took to social media to claim the Eagles’ deal was worth up to $24 million and back-loaded with $17 million coming in the third and final year of the deal.
After Gardner-Johnson turned down the Eagles’ three-year contract deal, the Birds had the opportunity to match the Lions’ offer, but chose not to do so, according to the NFL Network’s Jim Trotter.
“The Eagles were given an opportunity to match that one-year, $8 million offer to Gardner-Johnson, and they declined,” Trotter said on the NFL Network Monday afternoon. “So clearly he did not fit into their plans, which is shocking because this is one of the more talented, young safeties in the game today.”
This year’s safety market has been volatile, with most of the top free agents at the position signing deals lower than expected. New Falcons safety Jessie Bates was the lone exception, signing a three-year deal with an annual average of $16 million. But several decorated safeties, now including Gardner-Johnson, settled for below-market deals. For reference, Chargers safety Derwin James set the market with a four-year deal worth up to $72 million with an annual value of $19 million a year.
According to sources familiar with the team’s negotiations, the Eagles’ initial offer at the start of free agency was worth more than what he ultimately signed for with the Lions. However, Gardner-Johnson was seeking to be paid an annual average in salary just shy of Bates and the Eagles’ initial offer wasn’t there.
Gardner-Johnson joins a growing list of key contributors from last year’s team to sign elsewhere in free agency during the last week and the vast majority of the difference-makers lost have been on the defensive side. The Eagles will need to take major strides to fill out the middle of their defense with defensive tackle
Javon Hargrave, linebackers T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White, and Gardner-Johnson’s fellow starting safety Marcus Epps all signing deals with other teams during free agency’s first week.
The Eagles pass defense ranked No. 1 in several metrics last season, including Football Outsiders’ efficiency metrics. The secondary was a major reason why the team made it to Super Bowl LVII, even though the group struggled against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
While Hargrave’s production will be difficult to replace, Gardner-Johnson’s departure may be the toughest to compensate for this offseason. The converted slot cornerback played from multiple alignments and helped the defense disguise and/or match coverages because of his versatility.
The Eagles went into their last training camp with questionable options at safety and may have to do so again.
Second-year safety Reed Blankenship played well in relief of Gardner-Johnson last season, especially considering the undrafted rookie out of Middle Tennessee State’s pedigree coming into the NFL.