Eagles’ Nick Sirianni and Sean Desai rave about new veteran safety Kevin Byard
The Eagles were impressed not only with Byard's resume, but also his reputation as a leader for the Titans.
Eagles defensive coordinator Sean Desai let out a big chuckle when asked Tuesday what the process will be like integrating new safety Kevin Byard, who was acquired a day earlier in a trade with the Tennessee Titans.
“Pretty similar to the process we’ve had these last few weeks of getting different guys ready to play in the back end,” Desai replied with a smile. “The great thing is he has a lot of wealth of experience that he can rely on, so we anticipate it being pretty smooth.”
At last, Desai might finally be afforded some stability with Byard’s arrival. Through seven games, Desai has deployed seven different starting lineups in the secondary that have featured 12 defensive backs, including five who weren’t on the team’s initial 53-man roster.
But in Byard, 30, the Eagles are gaining an established two-time All-Pro, a dynamic playmaker, and a durable center fielder.
“He is obviously a great veteran,” Desai said. “He’s had a lot of success in this league. Has played in a lot of different defenses. Really smart. Great leader. I’ve gotten great reports. It’s really exciting to get him into the room and get him going.”
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Desai declined to discuss what exact role Byard will initially play. He’s a deep safety by trade, but Byard has plenty of experience lining up at box safety and also at nickel cornerback, where the Eagles have been affected by a litany of injuries. Byard figures to slot in seamlessly at safety alongside fellow Middle Tennessee State alum Reed Blankenship, who is currently nursing a rib injury that sidelined him for Sunday’s victory over the Miami Dolphins.
The Eagles sent safety Terrell Edmunds, along with fifth- and sixth-round draft picks in 2024, to Tennessee in exchange for Byard, who joins a safety room featuring Blankenship, rookie Sydney Brown, and Justin Evans (currently on injured reserve with a knee injury).
Over the next several days, Byard will spend extra time with defensive backs coach D.K. McDonald, assistant defensive backs coach Taver Johnson, and nickel backs coach Ronnell Williams in an effort to get him fully up to speed. Byard has 27 career interceptions and has never missed a game over eight seasons with the Titans.
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Eagles coach Nick Sirianni has plenty of experience game planning against Byard from his previous stint as a position coach and offensive coordinator with the Colts, who compete with the Titans in the AFC South.
“You always had to know where he was on the field,” Sirianni said Tuesday on WIP-FM. “And you get to see common carryover tape, as well, with opponents that you’re playing. I always thought very highly of him as a football player. I heard he’s an even better leader and captain of that team. Really excited about the player, really excited about the person we’re getting. I have the utmost respect for him. I’m glad he’s here and I feel like we made our team better.”
Byard, a Philadelphia native, was highly regarded across the Titans organization.
Titans coach Mike Vrabel kicked off his press conference Tuesday with an opening remark on Byard: “Sometimes you have to make tough decisions. This was certainly one of them. … I can’t thank Kevin enough for the personal relationship and what he has meant to this organization, on the field, off the field. These things are never easy, but hopefully if you handle them with class and integrity, respect, honesty — hopefully it works out for everybody.”
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In Byard’s case, this marks a homecoming and also an opportunity to add to his storied career with a potential Super Bowl run. The Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs — last season’s championship contenders — share the NFL’s best record at 6-1. The two teams are scheduled to meet in Week 11 when the Eagles visit the Chiefs on Nov. 20 at Arrowhead Stadium.
Shortly after the news broke on Monday evening, Byard replied to veteran cornerback Darius Slay’s welcome on X (formerly known as Twitter): “Let’s go win it all this year!”