The Philadelphia Eagles are staring down a critical offseason, and one of their biggest challenges might be coming from a familiar-and unwelcome-direction: the Dallas Cowboys.
Dallas has already dipped into Philly’s coaching staff, hiring former Eagles defensive backs coach Christian Parker as their new defensive coordinator. And now, there’s chatter that Parker could look to poach one of his former players-safety Reed Blankenship-when free agency opens. That would be a gut punch for a team already facing some tough personnel decisions.
Let’s be clear: Blankenship didn’t have his best season in 2025. The numbers tell part of the story-83 tackles, four pass deflections, one interception, one forced fumble, and a fumble recovery across 16 games.
But he also struggled in coverage, and the advanced metrics reflect that. Pro Football Focus gave him a 46.5 grade, ranking him 92nd out of 98 qualifying safeties.
That’s not the kind of stat line that screams “must-sign,” especially for a player entering his fourth year.
Still, raw numbers don’t always capture a player’s value to a locker room or a defensive unit. Despite a down year, Blankenship was a steadying presence in a defense that leaned heavily on its young talent. He played the role of veteran leader on a unit that featured rookie standouts like Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean-both of whom earned first-team All-Pro honors under Parker’s guidance.
And that’s where things get tricky for the Eagles. Parker knows exactly what he’s getting in Blankenship.
He helped mold him into a reliable piece of Philly’s secondary, and he’s now in a position to bring him to Dallas. With the Cowboys looking to retool their defense, especially on the back end, Blankenship could be a natural fit-someone who already understands Parker’s system and can help install it in a new locker room.
From Dallas’ perspective, it’s a low-risk, high-upside move. Blankenship isn’t going to command top-dollar on the open market, and he’s got the kind of experience and system familiarity that make him a smart target for a team looking to make a quick defensive transition. He’s not a cure-all for the Cowboys’ secondary struggles, but he’s a piece that fits.
For Philadelphia, though, losing Blankenship would sting-especially if it’s to a division rival. The Eagles are already facing the possibility of losing other key defenders like Jaelan Phillips and Nakobe Dean.
While rookie Andrew Mukuba showed promise in his first season, the secondary is still young and in need of veteran leadership. Blankenship may not be a star, but he's a glue guy-someone who helps hold things together while the young talent continues to grow.
And make no mistake: Parker is likely to target players he’s familiar with as he builds out his defense in Dallas. That means Eagles defenders-especially those who thrived under his coaching-are going to be on the Cowboys’ radar. It’s up to Philly to make sure they don’t lose more than just a coach this offseason.
If the Eagles want to keep their defensive identity intact-and avoid giving the Cowboys a leg up-they’ll need to make a real push to retain Blankenship. Familiarity cuts both ways, and in this case, it could be the difference between keeping a key defensive piece or watching him suit up in silver and blue.