There was time early on during the 2015 NFL season that the Philadelphia Eagles were considered to have two of the top safeties in the entirety of the league playing on the backend of their secondary. The Eagle defense, forced to play opposite Chip Kelly's breakneck offense, had been playing relatively well and the efforts of Malcolm Jenkins and Walter Thurmond were a large reason for that. Unfortunately, the play of the entire defensive unit began to dip and with it went the accolades headed Thurmond's way (Jenkins continued to make impact plays and was eventually selected to the Pro Bowl). And with Kelly and defensive coordinator Billy Davis' ousting, Thurmond, a pending unrestricted free agent, is facing an uncertain NFL future and may very well not return to the Eagles' nest.
According to former Eagle beat writer Geoff Mosher, the Eagles and Thurmond have not begun discussions on a new contract to this point, though the two sides are expected to speak at the NFL's rookie scouting combine in Indianapolis later this month.
It was in October that Pro Football Focus ranked Thurmond a top-five safety in the league. Patrolling the deep half of the field while Jenkins played up closer to the line, Thurmond excelled at breaking on passes and nabbing interceptions - his pick of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan early in the season for a near touchdown was a good example of the kinds of plays he was making at that point. Add in the fact that he had proved to be an efficient tackler - PFF had him down for just two missed tackles out of 31 attempts - the future suddenly looked bright, at least at safety, for the then 3-3 Eagles.
From there though, it was all downhill for Philly and eventually Thurmond as the big plays from early in the season suddenly dried up. He finished the season with three interceptions, two forced fumbles and two sacks, but disappeared for long stretches.
With a new coaching staff in Philly, Thurmond may no longer be a fit in Philly. Davis preferred interchangeable safeties able to man-up on slot receivers and Thurmond, the former cornerback, was able to excel at times in that scheme. But with Jim Schwartz's attacking (likely) 4-3 in town, Thurmond may eventually find himself replaced by a player who provides a different skillset.
The fact that the two sides are set to talk is a positive sign for Thurmond, but with a new coaching staff tends to come sweeping personnel changes and Thurmond certainly seem the kind of fringe, moderately successful player who could be jettisoned as a result.
