For most in the NFL, this offseason has felt like a very different one. No OTAs. No minicamps. No access to the facilities, and for most, no access to gyms.
For Eagles rookie safety Grayland Arnold, this offseason has felt like his summers growing up in Kountze, Texas, a town with a population of just over 2,000.
"Growing up in a small town, I never had a trainer or anybody to make you go work out. It was always self-motivated things that I had to do," Arnold said. "I used to have to get chains and put them together to make a ladder just to do ladder drills. It took me back to my old roots in a way."
Arnold having to pave his own path against all odds is nothing new. He was a three-star recruit out of Kountze High School. He started only four games as a freshman at Baylor. He dealt with injuries his sophomore year. He went undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Now, he begins his journey into the NFL with the Eagles, coming into a safety room that is going to be one of the most competitive in training camp.
Arnold doesn't seem intimidated by the challenge.
"Passionate. I play fast, passionate," Arnold said of his playing style. "A playmaker. I am always looking to make a play, every play, regardless of what the situation. It could be on field goal. I am looking to make a play. That is just how I play. I play free. I play with a lot of energy, and have fun at the end of the day."
The Eagles making Arnold a priority undrafted free agent signing is not surprising. The 5-foot-9, 186 pound safety checks off what has in some ways been the only box the Eagles have looked for in their secondary additions this offseason — versatility.
"I played mainly the two safety positions. I played some nickel, I would come down into the slot, man up," Arnold said of his role at Baylor. "I really didn't play too much corner (the last two years). There were times where I might line up on a man on the outside and play man-to-man, but that was it. My corner days were mainly my true freshman year and all the way up to true junior year."
Arnold's switch from cornerback to safety seems to have been the right move. Arnold put up his best season at Baylor as a senior at safety, totaling 45 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, one sack and a whopping six interceptions in just 13 games.
"With me transitioning to free safety last year, for the first year getting the six picks, I understood that if I wanted to have the year I wanted to have, I had to really know my job," Arnold said. "That was big and it allowed me to play a whole lot faster. The film shows I was playing really fast, making plays and I was having fun."
The six interceptions by Arnold jump off the page. In addition to versatility, general manager Howie Roseman has talked this offseason about how the defense needs to get the ball back more for the offense. It was one of the main reasons they acquired cornerback Darius Slay.
"I feel like it is a lot of film study, and a lot of instinct. But you have to trust your instincts, because some guys have instincts but don't really trust them, so they don't make a play," Arnold said of the keys to creating turnovers. "But I feel like for me, it was just not being afraid of the big moment, not being afraid to make the play. Knowing my job. When you know your job, and not just kind of know it, but know it to a T, to where you know it on paper and can do it with your eyes closed, it allows you to play a whole lot faster."
The Eagles seem to be counting on Arnold's combination of instincts and film study to help him overcome what some scouts feel is just average athleticism. Arnold, who is slightly undersized for safety, turned in the 12th best 40-time among the safeties (4.59 seconds) and 18th best vertical (33). Both likely had to do with Arnold going undrafted.
So far this offseason the Eagles have Arnold learning the free safety position. While that puts Arnold behind the only established starter at safety, Rodney McLeod, it should increase Arnold's chances of making the roster as it is the position he says he feels most comfortable at.
"I have a chance to be in every play. At safety, that was my mindset at Baylor. If I am in the middle of the field, then there is no where the ball should be and I shouldn't get to the ball," Arnold said. "The more I am around the ball, the more plays I can make."
Arnold faces less competition for a roster spot at free safety than he would at strong safety. The Eagles will have Jalen Mills, Will Parks and K'Von Wallace all competing for playing time at strong safety. At free safety, Arnold's top competition (outside of McLeod) for a roster spot or playing time will be Marcus Epps and Rudy Ford — neither of which are locks to even make the roster.
While Arnold winning the top backup job is certainly a possibility, one aspect of his game that should help him secure a roster spot is his ability to return kicks. Arnold stepped in as Baylor's punt returner last season, and took one of his 12 returns back for a touchdown.
"Definitely felt comfortable returning kicks. I started punt return for us last season, and that was my first season doing it at the college level," Arnold said. "I was real comfortable making decisions. That is a play where you have to make a quick decision. I was comfortable with it. It was fun."
The Eagles have shown in the past that they truly value their undrafted free agent (UDFA) signings. In 2017, they kept Corey Clement, who was featured in their Super Bowl win. In 2018, defensive tackle Bruce Hector made the team as a UDFA, and in 2019, they kept T.J. Edwards, who should be the starting middle linebacker next season.
Heading into training camp later this month, Arnold seems like the UDFA with not only the best chance of making the roster, but to find his way onto the field this season.
You can follow Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
