After locking up Zach Ertz, Brent Celek, Lane Johnson, and Vinny Curry to long-term deals earlier this offseason, the Eagles' front office has struck again, signing safety Malcolm Jenkins to a new five-year deal that will keep him under contract through 2020. Jenkins was previously set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2016 season.
Unlike Ertz, Celek, Johnson and Curry, Jenkins was not drafted by the Eagles. He signed with the team as an unrestricted free agent during the 2014 offseason and immediately produced on the field while emerging as a leader in the locker room. In his two seasons in Philly, Jenkins has 189 tackles, five interceptions, 25 pass breakups, four forced fumbles, and a pair of pick-sixes.
Jenkins is a rare player who can fit any scheme. He has terrific coverage ability from the slot, he can play deep in single-high looks, and he is a willing and able tackler around the line of scrimmage.
As Eagles fans have seen since the departure of Brian Dawkins, it is not easy finding quality safety play in the NFL. Jenkins has given the Eagles exactly that in his two years in Philly. The Eagles' other starting safety in 2015, Walter Thurmond, is set to become a free agent this offseason.
Update: Here are Jenkins' reported numbers, via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com and Joel Corry of CBS:
Jenkins was set to count for $7,166,668 against the salary cap in 2016. With the cap expected to rise significantly this year, that appears to be a team-friendly deal for a top safety.