Howard Smith – USA TODAY Sports
As we all know, the Philadelphia Eagles have been trying to fill the void at the safety position ever since the great Brian Dawkins left, and it hasn’t been pretty.
The Eagles have used numerous players to try and find a reliable safety in the secondary, but they have yet to find one. This is the first time in a while that the Eagles’ front office has spent a good amount of money in free agency at the safety position by signing Kenny Phillips and Patrick Chung. Both of these players have a real good shot at starting, however, the one guy people should keep their eyes on his rookie safety Earl Wolff.
Wolff is an extremely athletic safety out of NC State and has the potential to make a name for himself very quickly. He is a relentless defender who is not shy to make contact and plays the ball very well when it’s in the air. However, he is a fifth-round pick, so people are not expecting him to do much this season. Despite that, the safety position is very weak, and he possibly could get a lot of playing time this year.
With all the talent Wolff has, the question is what should we expect from him? Honestly, not much at this point. Wolff has the talent to be a solid player for this team, but I just can’t see him being a day one starter even if the safety position is thin. However, once he gains knowledge and experience, be prepared for him to open up some eyes.
Wolff can certainly make an impact this season, but it probably will be on special team until he gets a shot at starting. He will be a very reliable special teams player and can probably be the next Colt Anderson simply because of his nose for the ball and athletic ability. Expecting Wolff to come in and make an immediate impact on the defense is asking too much, however, as time passes and the more reps and experience Wolff gets, you can certainly expect him to make a lasting impression on the coaches the season.
Sonny Bryan is a Philadelphia Eagles writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @SonnyBryan50.
