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Nate Allen was announced as the starting safety opposite Patrick Chung ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles‘ Monday Night opener against the Washington Redskins. This doesn’t come as a complete surprise.
While Earl Wolff showed some things in training camp and in the preseason he simply isn’t ready to step in and start for the Eagles as a rookie 5th round pick. However, both defensive coordinator Billy Davis and head coach Chip Kelly said that he would be in a heavy rotation with Allen at the safety spot.
Allen wins the job by default. Although they brought competition in at the safety spot when the organization really hoped they had gotten a healthy version of Pro Bowl talent Kenny Phillips, it just never panned out. Injuries nagged him throughout training camp, and he never saw much action in the preseason.
The safety position is arguably the weakest on the field for the Eagles. Allen is going to have to play well to keep his job. His play has been far too inconsistent since a promising rookie season, and with a new regime his leash will be shorter then ever before.
Davis wants play makers all over the field in his new 3-4 hybrid scheme, and that is one thing Allen has failed to do in recent seasons. Wolff seems like a player that, once he gets his feet under him and used to the speed on the highest level, could make plays in the back end.
My prediction is that Allen starts the season but doesn’t finish it as one of the two starting safeties. Before the season is out expect to hear Wolff’s name in the starting lineup on Sundays.
