The Philadelphia Eagles defense ranked 31st against the pass last season. Believe it or not, that was actually a slight improvement over 2013, when the unit ranked 32nd in yards surrendered—dead last in the NFL.
Truth be told, Philadelphia's secondary was a mess before that, traditional measures aside. But after signing three defensive backs in free agency and adding three more over draft weekend, the Eagles finally have the parts to go about fixing what has long been one of their most glaring weaknesses.
In addition to the influx of talent, the Eagles stand to benefit from more flexibility in the secondary. Many of the newcomers have experience lining up at multiple positions, from cornerback—inside and out—to safety.
Gone are Cary Williams, Bradley Fletcher and Nate Allen, starters out of necessity for the past two seasons. At their finest, the trio was adequate, albeit rigid and uninspired. At their worst...well, Philadelphia did lead the league with 18 passes of 40-plus yards allowed in 2014, three more than any other team.
Granted, it's not clear which specific combination of players will replace them, but the plan revolves around Byron Maxwell. Although he made just 17 starts in the NFL, the Eagles lured Maxwell away from the Seattle Seahawks with an expensive free-agent contract to serve as their No. 1 cornerback.
Whether Maxwell was worth the outrageous sum the Eagles paid—$63 million over six years, $25.5 million guaranteed, according to Spotrac—remains to be seen. Regardless, he's almost certainly an upgrade from either Williams or Fletcher, easing concerns on one-half of the field already.
Who starts on the opposite side was seemingly in doubt, at least until Philadelphia spent a second-round pick on Eric Rowe. He played safety for three seasons at Utah before switching to corner his senior year, so there was some question as to where he would play in the pros.
Head coach Chip Kelly told reporters the Utah product may wind up across from Maxwell, per the team website. "He's a press corner. He's that big, physical press corner we are looking for. He's over 205 pounds, long arms, physical and I think that's why Utah moved him outside."
Rowe is a rookie, so there's no guarantee he'll be ready to start right away. Fortunately, the Eagles are prepared for that too.
Walter Thurmond was the club's other big-name free-agent signing this offseason. The former Seahawk and New York Giant has had trouble staying on the field, appearing in 27 of a possible 71 regular-season and playoff games over the past four seasons.
That being said, when Thurmond suits up, he's a viable cover man on the outside and especially in the slot. At the very least, his presence could allow the Eagles to ease Rowe into the lineup should the need arise.
Philadelphia took two more cornerbacks in the sixth round of the draft. JaCorey Shepherd out of Kansas and Randall Evans out of Kansas State may not play huge roles in 2015, but they add depth to an area that sorely needed it.
Nickel cornerback Brandon Boykin and Nolan Carroll are still in the mix as well, suddenly making for an impressive-looking collection of corners.
The only question that really remains in Philadelphia's secondary is at safety. Signed last offseason, Malcolm Jenkins turned out to be a perfect fit for defensive coordinator Bill Davis' scheme and solidifies one of the positions. Who will start alongside Jenkins, however, is a mystery.
Then again, the Eagles have something this season that they lacked in previous years—options. After being more or less stuck with Allen doing that job, the team is prepared to see what a whole host of players can do there.
Earl Wolff is the front-runner, provided he's recovered from knee surgery—he looked competent in six starts in 2013. Tim McManus for Philadelphia Magazine reports 2014 fourth-round selection Jaylen Watkins added weight in preparation for a switch from corner to safety and is expected to compete for the opening.
As noted, Rowe originally played safety in college, and he could always move back if Wolff or Watkins isn't panning out. Shepherd and Evans could be candidates for moves as well, while there is a whole host of players on the roster returning from last year, such as 2014 fifth-round pick Ed Reynolds, Jerome Couplin and special teams ace Chris Maragos.
So while Philly's secondary is not completely settled even after focusing so heavily on rebuilding it this offseason, Kelly and Davis should be able to put something together out of all this talent. There are so many interchangeable parts—that versatility will serve the Eagles well as the lineup and depth chart get sorted out.
No comments:
Post a Comment