Eagles' Terrell Edmunds emphasizes challenges of learning new defense after spending 5 seasons with Steelers

Edmunds is seeking out a starting safety job in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA -- There are plenty of questions at safety for the Philadelphia Eagles this summer. Terrell Edmunds is hoping to provide an answer. 

Edmunds was one of Philadelphia's veteran free agent signings (Justin Evans was the other) after the free agent losses of C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps. He's in line for a starting safety spot thanks to the transition at the position. 

"It's going well," Edmunds said at minicamp last week. "It's still continuing to develop, continuing to learn the playbook, continuing to mesh with my teammates. Get familiarized with everyone, and just compete, keep on working. 

"We got a long ways to go, but we're still working together, and we're trying to come together."

The change to Philadelphia is a unique one for Edmunds, who spent the first five seasons of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. While Edmunds never made a Pro Bowl in Pittsburgh, he was a quality starter and an excellent compliment to Minkah Fitzpatrick.

"That's why I said there's a long way to go," Edmunds said on the transition. "Just because you're learning new faces, you're learning new names, you're learning new calls. But I think everything is coming together well. 

"We got a great group of guys in the DB room. We got some great coaches. And we're all just working together, trying to help each other compete every day, and trying to make each other better."

Philadelphia is hoping Edmunds can lock down one of the starting safety spots in Sean Desai's defense. Edmunds wasn't the best in coverage last season, allowing four touchdown passes and an 102.3 passer rating when opposing quarterbacks targeted him. He did have 70 tackles and two sacks in 15 games with five passes defensed -- and is just 26 years old. 

The Eagles are going through a revamp at safety with Edmunds and Reed Blankenship having first-team spots for now. Evans, K'Von Wallace and rookie third-round pick Sydney Brown will compete for starting jobs. Edmunds' performance will determine if the Eagles will look to upgrade at safety (they may upgrade anyway). 

The key towards Edmunds' future as a starter? Making sure everyone on the defense is on the same page. 

"Just open communication," Edmunds said. "Everyone has to be honest because we're out there learning together, so everyone has gotta be like, 'This is what I see on the field. What do you see?' Talking to the linebacker group, or talking to the corners and the safeties constantly and communication. Everyone needs to be on the same page. 

"Situational football, that wins and loses games. So those third-down plays, those small plays of the game that mean so much to the game. Those fourth-down stops, those third-down stops to make them punt or get that first down or (not letting them get that) fourth-and-short to kick a field goal. 

"Those are things that can really get us off the field. That's something that wins and loses the game."