Darius Slay and the New Eagles Backfield
Howie Roseman was busy after all. After missing out on Byron Jones, the Philadelphia Eagles traded for former Detroit Lions CB Darius Slay. In exchange, Detroit received a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick.
This is such big news for Eagles nation because cornerback has been a position of need for basically the entire decade. Ever since the departure of Asante Samuel following the 2011 season, no Eagles cornerback has received a Pro Bowl nod. Over that span (2012-present), the Eagles are an abysmal 29th in passing yards allowed, ahead of only the Saints, Giants, and Buccaneers. Even when Philadelphia won their first Super Bowl in 2017, they allowed Tom Brady to set the postseason passing yards record.
Nnamdi Asomugha, Byron Maxwell, Cary Williams, Ronald Darby, the list goes on. Those are just a few of the disappointing players that have manned the outside for the Eagles during the 2010s. With a new decade incoming, a redesigned defensive backfield, and a new #1 CB, times are changing. Let’s take a look at the state of Eagles DBs right now.
Darius Slay
Slay is the unquestioned number one cornerback, and he’s being paid like it too. The last two times the Eagles have shelled out money to big-name cornerbacks, it’s come back to haunt them, but this situation is a lot different. Nnamdi Asomugha’s play style didn’t translate to the system Philadelphia had in place. Even if he could eventually adjust, he was washed up by the time his tenure here was over.
Byron Maxwell was the other cornerback that Philadelphia awarded a massive contract during the 2010s. He should’ve never received it in the first place. He had one solid year as the #2 cornerback in Seattle’s “Legion of Boom”, one of the best secondaries of all time. It’s pretty hard not to thrive in that situation, so it’s unclear why Philadelphia jumped to the conclusion that he could be their main man.
Slay is right in the midst of his prime and has had tons of success against Amari Cooper, the WR in the division that matters most. Slay also played under Eagles DC Jim Schwartz and referred to his former head man as a “genius”.
Jalen Mills
Mills is back in Philly, and fortunately, he’s not the top cornerback. He signed a one-year, $5 million deal that includes a switch to safety, a position he played at times in college. Many have clamored for him to make the transition, believing that is where his skill set is better utilized. Hopefully, Mills can bring the heat on this prove-it contract.
Rodney McLeod
On the other hand, Philadelphia re-signed Rodney McLeod to a two-year, $12 million deal. McLeod is a very solid player on the back end, and it was important that the Eagles didn’t lose both him and Jenkins in the same offseason. If he can keep up his play from last season, there’ll be nothing to worry about on his end.
Uncertainties:
1. Malcolm Jenkins
After a contract dispute, the Eagles surprisingly moved on from Malcolm Jenkins. One of the biggest voices on the team, Jenkins brought more than just on-field productivity. His age was a big factor in the team choosing to let him go.
2. The #2 Cornerback
This is where most of the uncertainty lies. As of right now, Rasul Douglas and Sidney Jones are the frontrunners for this spot. Neither has shown that they can be fully trusted, but with a shutdown man on the opposite side, life will be made easier. If Jones can finally blossom into what was expected of him when he was drafted in 2017, Philadelphia could have a nice-looking defensive backfield. That’s a sentence I thought I’d never utter.
*Contract information comes from NFL Insider Ian Rapoport
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