Chauncey Gardner-Johnson

Howie Roseman has done it once again as the Philadelphia Eagles have landed star defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson from the New Orleans Saints.

In three seasons, Gardner-Johnson has racked up a grand total of 161 tackles, 28 pass deflections, 5 interceptions, 3 sacks, and a forced fumble. An absolute steal of a deal considering the caliber player Chauncey Gardner-Johnson is. That’s for the future, however. [Avonte Maddox](https://section215.com/2022/06/07/philadelphia-eagles-maddox-smith/), Marcus Epps, and now, Gardner-Johnson, will be a force to be reckoned with and one of the top groups in the entire NFL. Now, the team looks set on all fronts heading into the 2022 season. Philadelphia will receive Gardner-Johnson and the Saints’ 7th round pick in 2025, while New Orleans will receive Philadelphia’s 2023 5th round pick in 2023 and the worse of the Eagles’ two 6th round picks in 2024.

The Saints are trading defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to the Eagles, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday.

But the swiftness with which this deal was executed indicates the Saints and Gardner-Johnson likely weren't close on an extension. The Eagles certainly won't mind that type of defender in their secondary. Gardner-Johnson also tied for the second most interceptions among these defenders with three. Contract extension talks broke down between Gardner-Johnson and the Saints, shifting New Orleans' focus from retaining the safety to moving him while he still carried value. [Jaquiski Tartt](https://www.nfl.com/players/jaquiski-tartt/) and expected parting of ways between the Eagles and [Anthony Harris](https://www.nfl.com/players/anthony-harris/). He did a solid job, finishing sixth in targeted expected points added (-3) among defensive backs who spent at least 50 percent of their coverage snaps as a slot corner in 2021, per Next Gen Stats.

After talks reportedly broke down for an extension, New Orleans began to look for a trade partner.

Philadelphia finished 9–8 in 2021 but still made the wild-card round where the team fell to Tom Brady in Tampa. Over his three-year career in New Orleans, he recorded 15 picks, one forced fumble, three sacks and 121 tackles in 43 games and 31 starts. [NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport](https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1564630907402723329?s=20&t=qpFu8xGimWT6l2Pn6stU9g).

The New Orleans Saints are trading defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to the Philadelphia Eagles, NFL Network reported Tuesday.

The Philadelphia Eagles have traded for Saints defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, with an eye on moving him back to safety.

As noted, Gardner-Johnson started as a safety in the NFL, before moving to cornerback on a gradual basis. He saw virtually all of his 2021 snaps as a cornerback last season, with the bulk of those either in the slot or along the boundary. Gardner-Johnson was primarily a slot cornerback down in New Orleans, but came out of college — and began his career in the NFL — as a safety.

In a shocker, the New Orleans Saints are trading star defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson.

Philadelphia ranked 11th against the pass in 2021, but just sixth in interceptions and had a team need at safety. Philadelphia receives Gardner-Johnson and the Saints seventh-round draft choice in 2025. Rapoport reports that the Saints were looking to deal Gardner-Johnson once contract talks had broken down.

The Saints were reportedly trying to sign Gardner-Johnson to an extension but when talks stalled, New Orleans sent him to Philadelphia, per NFL Network. Gardner ...

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A 2019 fourth-round draft pick, Gardner-Johnson was heading into the final year of his rookie contract and is due a base salary of $2.54 million this season.

It’s unclear whether the Eagles are willing to pay him what he’s asking for. There’s no immediate word on what the Eagles are sending back to the Saints. [wanted a new contract](https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/08/03/report-chauncey-gardner-johnson-limiting-work-in-practice-as-he-looks-for-contract/), but the Saints didn’t give him one.

Philadelphia Eagles acquired Chauncey-Gardner Johnson and a 7th-round pick from the New Orleans Saints for a 5th-round pick in 2023, 6th-round picks in ...

Arcega-Whiteside trade in 2024 for the defensive back and a future seventh-round pick. The trade compensation has been announced, and Philadelphia is trading a 2023 fifth-round pick and the sixth-round pick acquired from the Seahawks in the J.J. The Eagles acquired their new safety, trading for trashing talking Saints defensive back

Eagles Insider Dave Spadaro provides all of the key details of the trade and offers a preview of how Gardner-Johnson will fit into the scheme.

The Eagles were able to make the deal in part because of a trade Executive Vice President/General Manager Howie Roseman made last week with Tennessee, when he sent defensive back Ugo Amadi to the Titans and the teams exchanged late-round draft picks. He became a fan favorite in New Orleans for having a playing style that identifies with what Saints fans are – fighters and survivors who have come through the challenges that region has endured in recent years. At a recent press conference, in fact, Gannon said that the nickel and safety positions are "mirrored" in some ways.

The Philadelphia Eagles traded for safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, sending 2023 fifth- and sixth-round picks to the New Orleans Saints.

[“Fighting to Win,”](https://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Win-One-Delatron-Johnson/dp/1600479669#:~:text=Fighting%20to%20Win%20chronicles%20Delatron,of%20family%20and%20strangers%20alike.) Del Johnson said that prior to conception, “I was trying to figure out ways to check out and basically leave this world.” [Eagles](https://www.nj.com/eagles/) safety [Chauncey Gardner-Johnson](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GardCh00.htm) wouldn’t even be here, because before he was born, his mother wasn’t sure she wanted to live.

The Eagles make a major move at safety on NFL cut day, when rosters are trimmed to 53 players.

“He’s got a passion for the game and he’s not afraid to show it,” Roseman said. The team is counting on Epps to make a leap in his first full season as a starter and had little depth behind Harris. Roseman said the Eagles met with Gardner-Johnson during the predraft process in 2019. Doing so would make his contract non-guaranteed for the season. Gardner-Johnson was also on the receiving end of a punch from his former teammate, Saints receiver Michael Thomas. The Saints have a plethora of talent in their defensive secondary, and the market for slot-only cornerbacks can be unkind. “We never want to rule anything out with any of our players on our team, but if I start getting into anyone’s contract situation, I’ve got to address all the other guys’.” The Eagles typically employ two-high safeties in an effort to contain explosive plays, but gravitated toward some single-high looks toward the back half of the season. The defensive back has developed a reputation for playing with an edge during his career. The 5-foot-11, 210-pounder had 46 tackles and seven pass breakups last season. Gardner-Johnson, 24, started 12 games for the Saints last season primarily as a slot cornerback. Gardner-Johnson played safety in college and high school.

The Saints sent their slot corner to Philadelphia as NFL teams trimmed their rosters to 53.

The Eagles were able to acquire Gardner-Johnson and a seventh-round pick for the relatively low price of two late-round draft picks in 2023 and 2024. In New Orleans, Gardner-Johnson served as a slot cornerback. For him, he really wore it and at that point, it became evident that the Saints were willing to part ways with him. It's unclear exactly what the Saints offered him in a potential extension, but Rapoport explained on NFL Network that Gardner-Johnson wasn't happy with the final offer. Gardner-Johnson has been a key playmaker in the Saints' secondary over the last three seasons. Of course, cuts aren't the only way that a team can trim its roster to 53.

The Saints traded fourth-year pro Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to the Eagles, who cut starting safety Anthony Harris on Tuesday.

At safety, Harris had spent his first six seasons with the Vikings before coming to the Eagles last season. The Eagles will have to get Gardner-Johnson up to speed quickly. "That’s our job as coaches, to have a plan, and we do," Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. "When we look at New Orleans and the depth that they have on their roster, we thought maybe it would be a fit." Gardner-Johnson played a hybrid linebacker/slot corner role with the Saints, and he is expected to start next to safety Marcus Epps in the secondary. It was a major upgrade at safety, which was considered the Eagles' weakest position.

The Eagles' trade for Saints DB Chauncey Gardner-Johnson is a major part of a massive defensive overhaul.

This year, we took more responsibility as players for keeping the ball in front of us, and Cory Undlin, our new defensive backs coach, focuses on giving us the tools to actually go and do that on the field. All these new pieces in Philly’s defense reminded me of something else Jenkins told me in 2015, after the Eagles performed a similar defensive exorcism. I asked Jenkins about the challenges in putting all those new pieces together in a way that would work on the field. Gardner-Johnson did spend some time in the box for the Saints, both as a run defender, and as a flat coverage defender. Here’s one example of Gardner-Johnson carrying a receiver upfield from the slot on a no-matter-what basis, albeit in Cover-3. Especially in man coverage (which the Saints played a lot last season, and the Eagles really didn’t), Gardner-Johnson would be tasked to follow any motion receiver, and carry him wherever the route went. he took receiver Jamison Crowder from the defensive left slot through the deep crosser in what was basically a MEG/match “man everywhere he goes” philosophy. There was this play against the Packers in Week 1, where Gardner-Johnson moved to the deep third in the Saints’ Cover-3, and got a bit turned around by receiver Randell Cobb on the deep over route. When we looked at New Orleans and the depth that they had on their roster, we thought maybe it would be a fit, and the conversations kind of came together here in the last 48 hours. If the Eagles move him to more of a safety role, that would be good for Gardner-Johnson’s bank balance over time. While it would have been fun to see CGJ and the Honey Badger wreaking havoc in Dennis Allen’s awesome defense, [Gardner-Johnson is set to be a massive factor](https://twitter.com/BGN_Radio/status/1564660905140490240) in what Roseman and everybody else in the Eagles’ organization believes to be the kind of defensive overhaul that can pay immediate dividends at a championship level. And free safeties aren’t just hanging back in the deep third, waiting to erase everything there.

There were a number of trades before Tuesday's deadline to cut rosters to 53 players and the most impactful of them might have been the one that sent ...

[Marcus Maye](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/football/nfl/player/10673/marcus-maye), [Tyrann Mathieu](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/football/nfl/player/8048/tyrann-mathieu), [P.J. Williams](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/football/nfl/player/10211/pj-williams), [Marshon Lattimore](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/football/nfl/player/10166/marshon-lattimore), and [Paulson Adebo](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/football/nfl/player/63818/paulson-adebo) give them all they need in the secondary this season. [love the player](https://www.nola.com/sports/saints/article_c5a31f54-2875-11ed-b1f2-1385304d887c.html),” Allen said, via Luke Johnson of NOLA.com. Saints head coach Dennis Allen wouldn’t comment on Gardner-Johnson’s contract demands when discussing a trade that he said was “not an easy decision” for the team to make. But it was something we felt like was going to be a good move for us.” [Chauncey Gardner-Johnson](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/football/nfl/player/51646/chauncey-gardner-johnson) from the Saints to the Eagles.

A slot cornerback in New Orleans, Gardner-Johnson will move to safety in defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon's scheme -- solidifying a position that is ...

"I don't want to put too high expectations on him, but he kind of reminded me of a guy like Quintin Mikell who we had here," Roseman said. "The fact that he didn't have any snaps here with us is an unknown to Detroit, so we'll keep it that way. "That's our job as coaches, to have a plan, and we do. [Anthony Harris](/nfl/players/1865418/anthony-harris/) was as close to a roster lock as it gets at safety, yet the Eagles moved on from the veteran after acquiring [Chauncey Gardner-Johnson](/nfl/players/2221830/chauncey-gardner-johnson/) in a trade with the [New Orleans Saints](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/teams/NO/new-orleans-saints/) on Tuesday. Outside of [Marcus Epps](/nfl/players/3116592/marcus-epps/), no one appeared safe to make the roster at the position. [Philadelphia Eagles](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/teams/PHI/philadelphia-eagles/) throughout training camp.

The Eagles traded for Saints defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson on Tuesday and released safety Anthony Harris.