Thurmond seizes Eagles' second safety spot

The first turnover Walter Thurmond forced in a game with the Eagles came last Saturday, when his one-handed interception in the end zone off a deflection halted the Baltimore Ravens' opening possession. But it was not the first turnover Thurmond recorded in an Eagles uniform.

Throughout the summer, Thurmond has made a habit of intercepting quarterbacks and stripping ballcarriers. The coaches rank him atop the team in that area.

As a result, there has not been a safety competition during training camp. Thurmond, a converted cornerback, opened with the first-team defense at the beginning of camp, started both preseason games, and appears a lock to be the second safety, next to Malcolm Jenkins.

"It really hasn't been close when you talk about second safety spot," Jenkins said. "You wanted to see someone grab that spot by the horns, and he's done such."

Thurmond, who is 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, has only one interception in 36 career games. He also has two forced fumbles. He missed time because of injury in four of his five seasons. The Eagles signed the former Oregon standout to a one-year deal with initial intentions of allowing him to compete for a cornerback job, but they moved him to safety after the draft and have been impressed ever since.

"First thing that jumps to mind is how many turnovers and caused turnovers he's had in every practice," defensive coordinator Bill Davis said. "One of the biggest reasons we moved him was because of his awareness and his vision of the whole field. He naturally took the right angles back there, so he jumped out, but I would say turnovers more than anything. He's a ball hawk. Not only causing fumbles, but the interceptions, too."

Kelly, who coached at Oregon during Thurmond's last three seasons there, lauded the safety's instincts and intelligence. He said Thurmond is always around the ball and is seldom out of place, adding that he has an "intuitive feel" for where the football is going.

Kelly also pointed to Thurmond's catching ability. The one-handed interception looked routine. Kelly said Thurmond catches the ball "in a wide variety of ways."

Thurmond was a baseball player before he took up football. He didn't start on the football field until age 13, so Thurmond developed hand-eye coordination at a young age. When he joined a football team, he played wide receiver.

"My favorite player was Randy Moss, so if I had it my way, I'd probably have gone to college to play receiver," Thurmond said. "Randy Moss being my favorite player, I would go attack the ball as if I was the receiver. I brought the offensive mentality as far as when the ball was in the air to defense."

On Saturday's interception, Thurmond said he did not have the best technique to start because he was flat-footed until Joe Flacco's play fake. Then Thurmond started running. He said that if his technique was better, he could have broken on the ball and intercepted it in the natural trajectory of the pass.

Instead, he saw cornerback Nolan Carroll in perfect position, so he supported Carroll. The ball deflected off Carroll, and Thurmond stuck out one hand to make the catch.

"It just happened so fast, didn't even think about catching it with two hands," Thurmond said. "It was strictly just reaction."

Jenkins said Thurmond knows the defense and can already make the calls in the secondary. During practice this week, Jenkins has taken some snaps with the second-team defense, so the coaches can better evaluate the backup safeties. That has also allowed Thurmond to take a lead role making defensive calls and lining up his teammates.

Thurmond provides flexibility for the Eagles, because he can play both deep safety and in the box. During the preseason, his requirements have ranged from blitzing to being the last line of defense. But it's always been with the starters, which is evidence that Thurmond won a competition that never became a competition.

"I know there's a high ceiling," Thurmond said, "and I want to chase that ceiling as much as possible."

Defensive lineman Fletcher Cox returned to practice after missing Tuesday's session. Linebacker Bryan Braman and safety Jerome Couplin were sidelined. Marcus Smith (hamstring) and Zach Ertz (core) continued to miss practice as they recover from injuries. Wide receiver Josh Huff was excused for a personal reason for the second consecutive day.

@ZBerm