The Eagles Secondary Grade
The Eagles Secondary Grade
Player Grade: C+
Coaching Grade: F
Player Grade Summary: WOW, is this an interesting position for the Eagles. In a season where the secondary was basically just trying to limp across the finish line most games and decimated by injuries, it was almost doomed before it started. I had high hopes for Rasul Douglas and I will admit he had issues this year big time. Sidney Jones became a healthy scratch before having a resurgence at the end of the year. Avonte Maddox played decently in the slot but struggled when he was forced back outside. Jalen Mills actually looked like a good corner again and it was him coming back to this defense that saved the C+ from being even lower. Instead of even bringing up Ronald Darby’s performance this year, let’s just be happy with how well the safeties played closing out the year.
While the safety position even looked like a weakness at the beginning of the year seems that Jenkins and McLeod would try to make plays that left others exposed and seemed to have lost a step. The duo played much better especially as soon as Jalen Mills came back that seemed to help get the defense back to playing structure coverage and playing more disciplined instead of playing too low and being too aggressive at times. Marcus Epps came in and did not play badly, he could be a part of the team next year but you never really know.
Coaching Grade Summary: Thank you… Detroit Lions. Cory Undlin by some Kliff Kingsbury (but without success) failed upwards from DB Coach for the Eagles to a DC job with the Lions. Undlin has somehow taken a secondary that had Avonte Maddox looking elite in coverage last year and regressed him to a solid slot corner who struggled outside, Sidney Jones showed little development, Rasul Douglas came back into the season with hype about how he had shaved weight and worked on becoming faster only to show little development if not regression, Jalen Mills even had a rookie year that made him look like he could develop into a number one corner and yes you guessed it… he regressed after that. Marquand Manuel being hired and Cory Undlin being gone could not have come soon enough.
-By: Austin Bronstad
Writer