Here is everything Houston Texans safety Reed Blankenship said after day 14 of training camp, including how his style of play compares to fellow safety Jalen Pitre, his thoughts on the upcoming joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders and his experience with the Texans so far.
Question: On how his time with the Texans has been so far
Reed Blankenship: "I think it's been great. I feel like we have a lot of fun. One of my main things coming in here was trying to be a voice on the defense, to be a communicator. I found out really fast, I think it was in OTAs, where it was one play and there was a check. I started checking to something and Azeez [Al-Shaair] was like, 'What's this guy doing?' And then he corrected me, but I'm like, 'Okay, there you have a communicator.' I just want to let him know that I want to be on the same page. We're going to work in unison, but we're going to get everybody lined up. It's been great. It's been fun. There's a lot of different personalities, especially in the defensive back room and I just feel like I can get along with a lot of guys and just keep the vibes high."
Q: On his leadership and communication style
Blankenship: "I've always lived by being a follower before a leader. Obviously, in Philly, I was fortunate enough to be a captain and there were a lot of people before me. I've had [Darius] Slay [Jr.], I had Marcus Epps; I had a lot of these older vets that led the way for me. I just want to sit back and watch how they lead, especially coming to a place like this. Obviously, there are established leaders and stuff, so it would be wrong for me to come in and try to step on people's toes. Obviously, I had success there in Philly. Coming here, I want to bring the same thing, but I'm not going to say, 'Oh, we did this a different way,' or, 'We need to do this because it worked here.' Everything's different. The organizations are different. Players are different. At the end of the day, you just want to be as smooth as possible. As I said, be on the same page. Communicate, be on the same page. At the end of the day, enjoy football and have fun."

#blankenship #obviously

Former Georgia Bulldogs kicker and fan favorite Rodrigo Blankenship kicked in front of eight NFL teams. Blankenship is a player NFL teams could consider if they need more kicking competition or if their starting kicker suffers an injury.
The former Georgia kicker still has a lot of power. Blankenship connected on a 65-yard field goal and went a perfect eight-of-eight during the event, according to his social media account.
Blankenship last played professional football in the spring of 2025 with the St. Louis Battlehawks in the UFL (United Football League). He sat out the 2026 UFL season. For his efforts in 2025, Blankenship was named to the All-UFL team. He converted 21 of his 22 field goal attempts in 10 UFL regular-season games.
Blankenship's last NFL appearance came in 2022 with the Arizona Cardinals before he suffered an injury. He had a tryout with the Los Angeles Rams last year, but missed out on getting signed.
In three NFL seasons from 2020-2022, Blankenship made 47 of 56 field goal attempts and 54 of 58 extra points. His NFL career long is 53 yards, but he made a 56-yard field goal in the UFL.

#goal #eight #former #teams

The Houston Texans had four different players who recorded four interceptions last season, including both of their starting safeties - Calen Bullock and Jalen Pitre.
Even though Bullock and Pitre are still with the Texans, they decided to increase their safety depth by signing Philadelphia Eagles starter Reed Blankenship in the offseason.
After spending four seasons with the Eagles, including the 2024 season when the Eagles won the Super Bowl. While he has not recorded an interception in the postseason, he does have nine career interceptions, including four in 2024.
Cornerback Kamari Lassiter said Blankenship has been a good addition to the team and has meshed well with the other players.
"Any time you can add a really good football player to your team, it's great," Lassiter said. "Reed is a good football player. He came in and he meshes really well with us. He plays with confidence. He plays fast. He plays physical. He's just like one of us. We get along really well. We communicate really well. It's going to be real fun this year."

#well #plays #bullock #pitre

Replacing a productive starter is difficult. Replacing one of the defense's leaders can be even harder. The Philadelphia Eagles certainly understand that reality. Following Reed Blankenship's departure, they're in familiar territory, managing roster turnover, but rather than asking one player to fill every aspect of his role, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio appears to be taking a different approach.
Philadelphia will likely rely on Coach Fangio's unit early this season. Recently, he spoke with the media at Eagles camp. When asked who would **** ume the communication responsibilities in the secondary, a role Blankenship filled admirably, Fangio didn't identify a single successor. Instead, he named several.
"That'll be both of them (Marcus Epps and Andrew Mukuba). When it's Mukuba and Epps back there, they'll both do it. Epps is very capable of that, and I think Andrew is too. He'll get even better and better, this being his second year and being more confident... And Cooper DeJean, when he's there, he'll be capable of it."
Those comments offer a revealing glimpse into how Philadelphia plans to move forward after losing one of its defensive leaders. Communication won't fall on one player. It, like everything else on this Eagles defense, will evolve into a more team effort.
Blankenship's value extended beyond tackles and interceptions. As one of the defense's primary communicators, he helped organize coverages, relay adjustments and keep the secondary aligned before the snap. Those responsibilities don't disappear simply because he has left to continue his career with the Houston Texans. Instead of placing that burden entirely on Marcus Epps or expecting Mukuba to become the defense's lone voice immediately, Fangio is cultivating multiple players who can direct traffic from the back end.

#Eagles #replacing #instead #marcus

Here is everything Houston Texans Pro Bowl safety Calen Bullock said after Day 4 of training camp, including his initial impressions of safety Reed Blankenship, cornerback Kamari Lassiter improving his game and what he is seeing out of quarterback C.J. Stroud so far in training camp.
Question: On thoughts on S Reed Blankenship
Calen Bullock: "Reed came in, smart guy, just picked up, he was just rolling. So just hitting the field with him. Him going out there showing and communicating with me. We're on the same page. It makes both our jobs easier."
Q: On if he notices anything different in S Reed Blankenship considering he has won a Super Bowl
Bullock: "His knowledge, his work ethic. Like you said, he's been to the Super Bowl. He knows what it takes. He's seen how a Super Bowl team looks like from offense, defense, special teams. He knows how it looks. So just picking his brain in the meeting rooms and seeing what he sees out there in the field, it helps me a lot also on the field with him."

#safety

Jalen Hurts' Philadelphia Eagles earn No. 2 spot in ESPN's 2026 NFL roster rankings originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Only one team finished above the Philadelphia Eagles in ESPN's first roster rankings for 2026. The Eagles remain among the league's strongest contenders entering the new season.
ESPN placed the Philadelphia Eagles second in its 2026 NFL roster rankings because they remain one of the league's most complete teams. While the defense has plenty of talent, the report says the offensive tackle pairing stands above every other position group on the roster.
Left tackle Jordan Mailata and right tackle Lane Johnson are the biggest reasons behind that view. Mailata has finished no lower than sixth among NFL tackles in Pro Football Focus grades over the past three seasons. Johnson is now 36, but he still ranks well in pass protection and run blocking when healthy.
The report found one clear concern on the roster. Safety lost experience after Reed Blankenship left for Houston. That leaves second-year player Andrew Mukuba and Marcus Epps in larger roles. Cooper DeJean can also play safety, though his work as the team's main slot corner limits that option.

The Philadelphia Eagles have a young defensive core with enough talent to become one of the NFL’s most disruptive units, but training camp will determine how the pieces fit around the established names.
Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Nolan Smith Jr., Jonathan Greenard, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Riq Woolen, Zack Baun, Jihaad Campbell, and Andrew Mukuba give Philadelphia high-end talent across all three levels. The questions come behind them and around them. The Eagles must settle their safety rotation after Reed Blankenship’s departure, determine the linebacker picture, sort through a deep edge group, identify the defensive tackle depth, and decide how to align one of the league’s most crowded cornerback rooms.
Here are the Eagles' defensive position battles to track during training camp.
Mukuba enters his second season as one of the most important young players in the secondary, but the rest of the safety picture remains somewhat unsettled. Marcus Epps gives the Eagles veteran experience, and he has a fan in DC Vic Fangio, while Michael Carter II can factor into safety looks depending on personnel. Cole Wisniewski, Andre’ Sam, and Maximus Pulley add depth to a room that must replace Blankenship’s snaps and communication.
The key question is whether the Eagles use a traditional safety pairing or lean into flexibility. DeJean has taken reps at safety in base looks, while Carter gives Philadelphia another movable defensive back. Epps can steady the group, but camp will determine whether the Eagles have one clear answer next to Mukuba or a package-based solution.

Eagles 7-round mock draft: Toledo safety headlines a defensive reload

The legal tampering period for free agency has come and gone, and the Eagles will look drastically different on defense after losing Naobe Dean, Jaelan Phillips, and Reed Blankenship. Now all eyes will turn toward the 2026 NFL draft. The first day will feature only the first round, the second day will feature the second and third rounds, and the draft will conclude with the final four rounds on the third day. Philadelphia has needs, but a top-flight defensive tackle won't be needed after the Eagles agreed to a new three-y