Eagles bring in veteran Keanu Neal on a visit; report
The initial wave of free agency has passed but the Eagles are still looking to add talent and brought in an interesting name for a visit on Thursday.
The Eagles hosted veteran free agent Keanu Neal, ESPNs Field Yates reported.
Looking at the Eagles roster, you can argue that safety and linebacker are their two biggest positions of need. Neal has played both positions in his career.
Neal, 27, is primarily a safety but did play linebacker for the Cowboys in 2021. Most of his career, though, has been at safety, including five years with the Atlanta Falcons to start his career. Neal (6-0, 217 pounds) is a big hitter and was even a Pro Bowler in 2017.
Neals brother, Clinton Hart, was a safety with the Eagles in the early 2000s.
You might remember Neal from the NFC Divisional Round game in 2017. Thats when a Nick Foles pass hit off Neals knee and bounced into Torrey Smiths hands for a big gain as the Eagles moved on to beat the Vikings in the NFC Championship Game and eventually beat the Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
The Falcons drafted Neal in the first round out of Florida back in 2016 and he was productive in his time with the Falcons, although injuries really limited him in 2018 and 2019. In those two seasons, he played a combined four games. But he returned to play 15 in 2020, his last year with the Falcons before moving on to the Cowboys.
Neal spent the 2022 season with the Buccaneers, playing in all 17 games with 8 starts. He had 63 tackles, 1 interception, 4 pass breakups and 5 quarterback hits. Neal last season ranked as the No. 70 safety in the NFL out of 88, according to ProFootballFocus. While Neal was listed as a safety, the majority of his snaps came in the box. Hes really a hybrid player.
Its worth noting that Neals next team will be his fourth in four seasons.
This wouldnt be classified as a major signing for the Eagles if they bring Neal in but it could help their depth at safety. Even after signing Justin Evans, theyre lacking in that department.
This offseason, both incumbent starters, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps, left in free agency. The only remaining safeties from the 2022 team are Reed Blankenship, KVon Wallace and Andre Chachere. Adding Evans to the mix isnt enough either.
If youre wondering about the Eagles linebacker situation, if they had to play a game tomorrow, Nakobe Dean and newcomer Nicholas Morrow would be the likely starters.
There are safeties and linebackers with bigger names still available on the open market (guys who might help the Eagles more) but it makes some sense to kick the tires on a veteran who wont cost much as a stopgap. The Eagles have gone after a lot of low-risk, high-reward players this offseason and Neal could be another one.
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