Eagles Sign safety Rodney McLeod

The Philadelphia Eagles have just made a major move to bolster a secondary that was filled with holes last year.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Eagles have signed safety Rodney McLeod to a long-term contract that will pay him $17 million guaranteed.

McLeod was an undrafted free agent signed by the St. Louis Rams out of Virginia in 2012. He has quickly risen in the NFL ranks and was ranked by Pro Football Focus as the 10th best safety in the NFL.

He had 82 tackles last year and forced three fumbles. He has played in every game of his four year NFL career and has started for the past three in every single game.

Here’s what NFL Mock’s writer David Holmes said about Rodney McLeod going into free agency this week.

"McLeod has improved each season since signing with the St. Louis Rams as a UDFA in 2012. He has proved to be one of the hardest hitters at the position, often times selling his body out to make bone shattering it on the ball carrier. His last season was his best as professional, putting up 82 combined tackles, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and one interception. At just 25 years old, McLeod should be a key piece to a team’s secondary for the five seasons."

A combination of Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod could be deadly for NFL offenses. If the Eagles can draft someone like Vernon Hargreaves with their newly acquired eight overall pick in this years draft, their once stingy secondary could become very potent.

New defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz must be very happy with these deal the Eagles are making today. A box-safety like McLeod can bring some of the hard-hitting plays Eagles fans loved from Brian Dawkins during the Philadelphia glory days.

The Eagles also signed CB Leodis McKelvin yesterday and traded CB Byron Maxwell to the Dolphins.