Malcolm Jenkins. Photo by Andy Lewis/ contrastphotography.com

Malcolm Jenkins isn’t the savior but he is crucial.

He is the single most important player added to this roster in the modern Chip Kelly era.

And I am thrilled that the Eagles lured him into the nest. He was the best safety available in the richest crop of free agent safeties that we have ever seen.

Lets review some of the safeties that changed teams, via free agency this off-season. Jairus Byrd, TJ Ward, Donte Whitner, La Ron Landry. Mike Mitchell, Antoine Bethea, and Kendrick Lewis to name just a few.

Why the large carousel of safeties this season? Quite simply if you want to fix your defense or drastically upgrade your defense then you must fix the safety position.

The best defense in the NFL belongs in Seattle and quite simply the have the best tandem of safeties we have seen in a long time.

Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor are practically household names. Kam Chancellor was the best player on the field in Seattle’s humiliating victory over the Broncos.

Their nemesis, the San Francisco 49ers had the best defense in the NFL up until two years ago when they had the best tandem of safeties between Donte’ Whitner and Dashon Goldson. Both of those players have been plucked quickly over the past two seasons as soon as the doors of free agency opened.

How about two teams that changed their defensive fortunes in the course of one off season? The New Orleans Saints went from the most porous defense in NFL history to the league’s 4th best when they drafted the best safety in college football, Kenny Vacaro to go along with Malcolm Jenkins and Roma Harper.

The Tennessee Titans went from 31st in defense into the league’s top 10 last year when they added Bernard Pollard and George Wilson to the back end of their defense.

In the gradual evolution of the college spread put tempo shotgun offenses that are now the norm in the NFL the safeties have to be interchangeable. They have to be able to cover in man to man coverage.

They have to be able to make touchdown saving tackles which elicits the ability to take proper angles and to wrap up and tackle 260 lb tight ends to speedy third down backs to elite athletes at wide receiver. And while asked to be tough and smart and generally the QB of the defense they have to stay healthy. It is an increasingly difficult assignment.

Jairus Byrd was considered the preeminent safety in free agency and the Saints signed him to be that guy.

The year the Saints won the Super Bowl they lead the entire NFL in takeaways. Malcolm Jenkins was a rookie cornerback on that team and helped the Saints get to the lofty and coveted perch of being No. 1 in takeaways. Sean Payton and the Saints took Byrd because he intercepts passes.

He has what football coaches call a ” nose for the ball .” But Chip Kelley recruited and coached Jairus at Oregon and NO ONE knows Byrd like Chip. He doesn’t like that he was always hurt and rarely practiced. The Saints are finding this out as he did not participate i9n preseason for the first four weeks.

Malcolm Jenkins does practice. He loves to practice. His biggest decision in free agency was to accept the Eagles offer of the better offer from the Rams.

Their is a strong connection between Jenkins and the defensive coordinator of the Ram, Greg Williams. Williams coached Jenkins that Super Bowl season in ‘Nawlins. Malcolm took the Eagles offer because he likes the way Billy Davis Jr. is going to deploy him.

He will cover tight ends like we saw him do vs Health Miller in preseason game No. 3 against Pittsburgh. He will be a deep free safety, literally the last line of defense in some aggressive blitz schemes, and he will get that chance to blitz the QB on different occasions. All while coordinating the back end of the Eagles defense.

He readily accepts the challenge of helping to turn the worst pass defense in the NFL from a year ago and fixing it. Ray Donovan style.

Part of his arsenal is that he was a first round pick at corner coming out of Ohio State.

So he has spent a great deal of his life in man to man coverage. He understands route combinations, personnel groupings, and most importantly he knows the league’s QB’s and what they want to do.

Anticipation is so important to success in this league at every position. As the newly appointed QB of the secondary his tape study, his diligence to the game plan each week and his vocal leadership has been apparent throughout the preseason.

He grew up in the shadows of the Meadowlands but never a Giant fan. He left that to his father. No he favored the Ravens because he was drawn to the magnetic persona of Ray Lewis.

Ray helped the Ravens win two Super Bowls as the Captain and undisputed team leader of the Ravens. Something Malcolm Jenkins hopes to be able to do as the new-found leader of what promises to be a new and improved Eagles defense.