Report: Eagles had interest in Justin Reid before he signed with the Saints

Philly was reportedly one of the finalists to land him.

The Philadelphia Eagles were “very interested” in signing free agent safety Justin Reid before he ultimately landed with the New Orleans Saints, according to a report from James Palmer.

“Most notably it went down to the wire” with the Eagles, Saints, and Tennessee Titans as the top finalists for the veteran defensive back.

The 28-year-old Reid ultimately signed a three-year, $31.5 million contract that reportedly includes $22.25 million fully guaranteed.

Reid’s deal was reported around 5:00 PM Eastern. About six hours earlier is when the Eagles traded starting safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans.

So, the Eagles seemingly had interest in Reid as a CJGJ replacement. Which is interesting because: 1) the CJGJ trade was purportedly about saving money for future extensions while also opening a spot for Sydney Brown to ascend and 2) the Eagles have yet to even sign an external free agent as they play the compensatory pick game.

Perhaps the Eagles really just like Reid. They certainly showed a lot of interest in him leading up to the 2018 NFL Draft.

Nevertheless, Reid won’t be coming to Philly. But the Eagles’ interest in him could signal they’ll pivot to another free agent safety option.