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Eagles Notes: Zordich expected Eagles to add a safety in offseason

Mike Zordich was like many who believed that the Eagles would (should?) add another safety this offseason. "I thought that was going to happen, too," the Eagles' safeties coach said Tuesday. "I did. But I think when you reflect back and look at the whole year and the growth that happened with these guys, I know I'm very comfortable with them."

(Steven M. Falk/Staff file photo)
(Steven M. Falk/Staff file photo)Read more

Mike Zordich was like many who believed that the Eagles would (should?) add another safety this offseason.

"I thought that was going to happen, too," the Eagles' safeties coach said Tuesday. "I did. But I think when you reflect back and look at the whole year and the growth that happened with these guys, I know I'm very comfortable with them."

"These guys" are Nate Allen, Kurt Coleman, and Jaiquawn Jarrett. Allen and Coleman played together most of last season and began this spring as the starters.

"It's obvious the two front-runners right now are Kurt and Nate," Zordich said.

Allen's play early last season was stunted by his return from knee surgery, Zordich said. The former NFL safety said that he sees Allen "as a very solid safety in this league, possibly even better than that."

Zordich said Coleman doesn't have the physical ability of an elite safety, but he talked up his intangibles. "The great thing about Kurt is he's got a little swagger to him," he said. "He's got that attitude."

As for Jarrett, whom the Eagles drafted in the second round last April, Zordich said the Temple product "is going to be fine."

"He works extremely hard," he said, "and he's just got to get a little more comfortable in the system, and once that happens, J.J.'s going to be pushing those other guys."

'Eagle Joe' dies

Joe Brown, 62, otherwise known as "Eagle Joe" to many who visited Eagles training camp over the years, died Sunday.

Brown, a season-ticket holder, started attending camp regularly in 1975, when coach Dick Vermeil held summer practices at Widener University in Chester.

In 1988, head coach Buddy Ryan invited Brown to stand on the sideline at camp. From that point on, every head coach gave him sideline access.

"He bled green," Eagles coach Andy Reid said in a statement. "And even though he was struggling with various illnesses in recent years, he still managed to travel to Lehigh a few times every camp. He always had a kind word of encouragement to each of our players and coaches. He never asked for anything and never expected anything."

A degenerative disease robbed Brown of much of his eyesight. He was a longtime employee of Acme supermarkets in Media, according to the Eagles.