Cooper DeJean isn’t pretending the Eagles won’t notice Reed Blankenship being gone.
Philadelphia’s star cornerback said the locker room has already felt the difference since Blankenship left for the Houston Texans in free agency, and he made it clear the longtime defensive presence brought more than just production to the secondary.
DeJean and Blankenship were recently together at Fanatics Fest in New York City as part of their Exciting Mics duo, and DeJean opened up about what it’s like in Philadelphia without his old teammate around, per Anthony Dibona.
"It's been a little quiet in the locker room without him around," DeJean said. "We're going to miss him, but he got his money, I'm happy for him, he's got a baby now, he's married, he's grown up, he's leaving the nest. But you know, I'm happy for him, I know he's going to miss me, too."
That kind of bond was part of what made the two such a recognizable pair, both off the field and on it. Blankenship carved out a reputation in Philadelphia as a steady, hard-hitting leader, going from undrafted free agent to captain and Super Bowl champion. In Houston, he’s already wasting no time making his presence felt.
For the Eagles, though, the departure leaves room for someone else to speak up. DeJean is one of the players expected to help fill that gap, and Vic Fangio has already handed him added responsibility, including safety duties in the team’s base package.
DeJean has talked before about being more vocal. In May, he told NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark that he was ready to take on more of that role.
Philadelphia still has veteran voices at every level of the defense, so this isn’t a case of the unit being stripped bare. But Blankenship’s absence does leave a hole in the room, and DeJean sounds prepared to help cover it.
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