A young, up-and-coming player like Rodney McLeod no doubt had plenty of suitors on the free-agent market. Ultimately, the 25-year-old safety had no shortage of reasons why the Eagles wound up being his preferred destination.
First and foremost on McLeod's list was the opportunity to play alongside Malcolm Jenkins, a veteran safety coming off a Pro Bowl season.
"I know I'm going to be playing with Malcolm Jenkins, who's a great safety in this league, Pro Bowler, which was one of the reasons why I chose here," McLeod said at an introductory press conference Thursday afternoon. "To play beside a guy of that caliber, that's proven himself, that I can learn from."
It probably didn't hurt the Eagles were offering a five-year, $35 million contract with $17 million guaranteed.
Then again, McLeod was going to get paid no matter what.
The chance to be a part of one of the top safety duos in the NFL, on the other hand, wasn't readily available just anywhere — and apparently was too enticing to pass up. McLeod wasn't shy about what he thought the ceiling for their partnership might be, either.
"I think we can be the best in the league, honestly," McLeod boasted of the newly formed tandem. "The ability that he has, with my range and things like that, and the ability to just make plays, I think that's our strong suit.
"I think we're going to help each other out a lot."
A three-year starter for the St. Louis Rams, McLeod racked up 184 total tackles, 18 pass-breakups, five interceptions and seven forced fumbles during that span. The only safety in the league to match or better those totals between 2013 and 2015 is Seattle Seahawks All-Pro Earl Thomas. McLeod, who has a reputation for being a big hitter, has also never missed a game.
It certainly isn't a stretch to believe the combo of McLeod and Jenkins could very well live up the hype.
Yet McLeod's list of reasons for picking the Eagles didn't end with Jenkins. The fifth-year safety admitted he was also a fan of defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz's background and philosophy.
"Just the mentality that he has," McLeod said of Schwartz. "Heard a lot about him, talked to him these past few days, and just seemed like a great man. I know he has worked with some of the coaches I have in the past, (Rams defensive coordinator) Gregg Williams and (Rams head coach) Jeff Fisher, so I know he comes from a great background, and I could tell the type of man he is and character and a guy that wants to win.
"That's all I can ask for. A guy I felt like who guys want to play for and brings the most out of his players."
But wait, there's more.
McLeod's decision didn't merely boil down to the pairings in the defensive backfield or the coaching staff. It was the total package the Eagles had to offer, including the quarterback and direction of the franchise.
McLeod, of course, was a teammate of Sam Bradford's with the Rams, admitting the signal-caller's presence was another benefit with the Eagles and offering a ringing endorsement.
"I always liked my man, Sammy B.," McLeod said. "When he was in St. Louis, he was a great quarterback for us, a leader, could make all the throws, and unfortunately he just got hurt a couple seasons. But had a great year last year for this organization and I'm looking forward to him taking this team as far we can get with him being the leader and him behind center."
In the end, McLeod felt the Eagles were simply the best fit overall.
"Just the organization, and this franchise and what they've done in the past, and what they're building here.
"You can just see it from their moves in free agency and the guys that they brought back, and it just speaks volumes to me, and playing along a guy like Malcolm Jenkins I know will help my career out tremendously, and I know we can be a great tandem."