The Philadelphia Eagles made an unexpected move on Tuesday by reportedly trading safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans for offensive lineman Kenyon Green.
The Eagles and Texans also reportedly swapped draft picks in the 2026 NFL draft in the deal, according to NFL Network. The Birds are sending a 2026 fifth-round pick to Houston and will get a sixth-round pick back.
With Gardner-Johnson heading to Houston after helping the Eagles have the No. 1 ranked defense in the NFL and win the Super Bowl, who will replace the brash, trash-talking defensive back?
Here are some players the Eagles could replace Gardner-Johnson with in free agency, in-house or in the upcoming NFL draft.
Philadelphia Eagles free agent safety targets
Justin Simmons
If the Birds look to replace Gardner-Johnson in free agency, they could add a veteran safety who already has experience playing under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
Veteran safety Justin Simmons, who played with the Atlanta Falcons in 2024, is an unrestricted free agent.
Simmons was linked to the Eagles in free agency in 2024 because of his ties to Fangio. Simmons played under Fangio with the Denver Broncos for three seasons while he was the team's head coach. He earned Second-Team All-Pro honors in two of those three seasons in Denver with Fangio.
Simmons recently said on the "Talkin' Ball" podcast that the Eagles and Washington Commanders are "high" on the list in terms of his potential landing spots in free agency.
Simmons, 31, played in 16 games last season for the Falcons. He had two interceptions, seven pass deflections and 62 total tackles. Spotrac projects Simmons to earn a one-year, $5.8 million deal.
Atlanta Falcons v Las Vegas Raiders
Justin Simmons #31 of the Atlanta Falcons lines up before the snap during an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Dec. 16, 2024 in Las Vegas. Getty Images
Damar Hamlin
Safety Damar Hamlin could be another option for the Eagles to add with starting experience after losing Gardner-Johnson.
Hamlin played and started in 14 games for the Buffalo Bills last season and had 89 tackles, two interceptions and five pass deflections.
Hamlin is from McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, which is just outside Pittsburgh. He played football at the University of Pittsburgh before being drafted by the Bills. Spotrac projects Hamlin to earn a two-year, $6.1 million contract in free agency.
Hamlin has had a long journey back to the NFL after he suffered cardiac arrest during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2022 season.
Marcus Epps
Marcus Epps left the Eagles after the team lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, but he might be an option to return in 2025.
Epps signed a two-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023, but he only played three games in the 2024 season after he tore his ACL.
In the 2023 season, Epps had 66 tackles, one fumble recovery, three pass deflections and four tackles-for-loss. Spotrac projects him to earn a one-year, $1.7 million deal in free agency.
In-house options to replace C.J. Gardner-Johnson
The Eagles could look to their younger players on the roster to fill the void left by the Gardner-Johnson trade, as their defense will have some new faces in starting roles for the 2025 season.
Safety Sydney Brown is entering his third year with the team and will likely get a chance to compete for a starting job alongside Reed Blankenship by the time training camp rolls around.
Brown has mostly been a special-teams contributor in his first two seasons in Philadelphia. He missed part of the 2024 season on injured reserve after he suffered a torn ACL in the 2023 regular-season finale against the New York Giants.
Backup defensive backs Tristin McCollum, Lewis Cine and Andre' Sam will also likely get to compete for roles in Fangio's defense.
Could the Eagles select Malaki Starks in 2025 NFL draft?
Safety has now become a position of need for the Eagles entering the 2025 NFL draft with Gardner-Johnson gone.
One safety prospect to watch is Malaki Starks, who played at the University of Georgia. Will he be the next player to join the Georgia-to-Philly pipeline?
Georgia v Ole Miss
Malaki Starks #24 of the Georgia Bulldogs during the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Nov. 9, 2024, in Oxford, Mississippi. Getty Images
In the past few years, the Eagles have selected several players from the Bulldogs' defense, starting with defensive tackle Jordan Davis in the first-round of the 2022 draft.
Starks is ranked as the No. 1 safety in the draft by CBS Sports. He's projected to go in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.
In the 2024 season at Georgia, Starks started all 14 games and led the team in tackles with 77. He was a Second-Team Associated Press All-American and earned Second-Team All-SEC honors. He was also a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, which goes to the top defensive back in college football.
Tom Ignudo
Tom Ignudo is a digital content producer at CBS Philadelphia. Before he joined CBS Philadelphia in 2021, Tom covered high school and college sports for the Philadelphia Inquirer. He covers breaking news, sports and more.