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

-By: Micah Jimoh

Writer

Every year around combine time, several rumors (both founded and unfounded) swirl around NFL circles. One recently came up that scared Eagles fans:

Jason Peters is coming back.

Now, it’s not the return of the Bodyguard that caused panic as much as the possibility that last year’s first-round selection Andre Dillard could be a bust. The rumors ranged from Philadelphia sitting him for another year to them shipping him out in a trade package. It’s now official that none of those are true.

In a social media statement released by the team, it was stated that, “The Philadelphia Eagles and Jason Peters have mutually agreed that Peters will enter the free-agent market when the new league year begins on March 18. We are appreciative of everything Jason has contributed to the organization over the last 11 years in Philadelphia, including building a first-ballot Hall of Fame career and helping us win our first Super Bowl championship. Jason has been an incredible leader and person both on and off the field. We will remain in communication as each side continues to evaluate its options in free agency.”

Takeaways from this news:

- Jason Peters still plans on playing next season. It will sting to see 71 suiting up for another franchise.

- The Eagles haven’t completely closed the door on a return. Although it’s extremely unlikely, Peters could potentially still be sporting the midnight green in 2020.

- The team believes in Andre Dillard and thinks that he can build off of last year’s impressive preseason. If he has gotten stronger, Carson Wentz’s blindside should still be secure.

A 9x Pro Bowler and 6x All-Pro, Peters has put together a Hall of Fame caliber career over the course of 16 seasons with the Eagles and Bills. It appeared as if he was on his way out after last season, but the Eagles brought him back for another season and then drafted Washington State offensive tackle Andre Dillard to eventually succeed him. Peters played in 13 games for Philly this past season, but was often seen leaving games with various ailments. Untimely penalties were also a source of frustration for fans. Still a PFF favorite, there are many who still believe that the 38-year-old remains a quality starter. We won’t find out here. If this is truly it for Peters and the Eagles, all we can say is thank you.

-By: Micah Jimoh

Writer /Interviewer

Eagles Release LB Nigel Bradham

After four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, eighth-year linebacker Nigel Bradham was released by the team. Bradham was a name to watch on the roster bubble thanks to his salary, and sure enough General Manager Howie Roseman made the decision to cut him. 

Bradham came to the Eagles in 2016 after spending four seasons with the Buffalo Bills. Here he was reunited with his former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and immediately became a starter. After a 102-tackle season, Bradham remained a solid starter for a Super Bowl winning Eagles team in 2017. For his efforts, he was awarded a five-year, $40 million contract.

Bradham was once again fine in 2018, but after injuries took away a chunk of his 2019 campaign and sapped his production, the Eagles decided to look elsewhere. Bradham is going to turn 31 in September and he wouldn’t fit into the future plans of a franchise looking to go younger. 

Bradham enters free agency with 96 starts, 619 tackles, and 8.5 sacks to his name. He should get picked up by another team relatively soon. He may very well have more in the tank, but it won’t be with the Eagles that he proves it.

With Kamu Grugier-Hill set to hit free agency, the Eagles are left with just Nate Gerry, Duke Riley, Alex Singleton, and T.J. Edwards at the position. It’s a young group, but Gerry is the only one of them who’s seen significant playing time. The Eagles already needed linebacker upgrades, but now it’s a position of glaring need.

-By: Micach Jimoh

Writer/Interviewer