Eagles sign Caden Sterns, a safety with experience in Vic Fangio’s defense

The Eagles signed safety Caden Sterns on Sunday, bolstering the depth at a position that has been thinned by injuries midway through training camp.

Sterns, 24, was a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft who started his career with the Denver Broncos while Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was the team’s head coach. The former University of Texas standout played in 15 games as a rookie but has struggled with injuries the last few seasons. Sterns was claimed by the Carolina Panthers last week after the Broncos waived him last Monday, but he was cut two days later because of a failed physical.

Sterns was at the NovaCare Complex on Sunday and watched practice from the sideline, but Fangio said he doesn’t expect him to participate right away.

“He was a good player,” Fangio said. “Moved well, had good instincts, good ball skills, had a good feel for the game. We’ll just need to see where he’s at physically — he’s only played five games in the last two years, I believe. I don’t believe you’ll see him out here on the practice field at least for a week or so. We need to see where he is physically, how he’s moving around, and then we’ll go from there.”

The Eagles have a couple of safeties dealing with injuries of varying severity going into the second week of the preseason. Starting safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson is out with a shoulder injury that isn’t expected to sideline him for an extended period, while Sydney Brown is working his way back from a torn ACL suffered last January. Rookie defensive back Cooper DeJean, who may also factor into the picture at safety because of his versatility to play across the secondary, has been sidelined for the entirety of camp with a hamstring injury.

To make room for Sterns, the Eagles waived linebacker Shaquille Quarterman.