When the Eagles signed a handful of undrafted free agents following the draft, Denzel Rice was widely overlooked. He was among the lowest ranked players going into the draft and wasn’t expected to be picked up in the weeks after. Rice had joined a team that had more cornerbacks than chokes by Tony Romo. But with Boykin gone and Jacorey Shepherd out for the season with a torn ACL..people are starting to look a lot closer at the former Coastal Carolina player.
It’s not just that the odds are increasingly moving in his favour, it’s that he has had a fantastic training camp so far. Forcing a fumble on Tim Tebow after a big gain in front of a rowdy crowd, Rice has a tendency to always be close to the ball.
At 6’0″ tall and 196 pounds he’s definitely got the build for the role. The Eagles were rumoured to take him in the seventh round but instead decided on picking up defensive end Brian Mihalik. Many were expecting the pre season games to be a showcase for the war at Quarterback..they were mistaken. The real battle is taking place at corner.
Jaylen Watkins, veteran E.J. Biggers and Randall Evans are the competition that Denzel Rice will face going into the season.
In his tenure at Coastal Carolina, Rice played at safety, corner and Nickel so he definitely has the familiarity with the position. It’s very much an underdog story. Rice is from a school that never receives much attention, the players that come out are often average. The best comparison that Chip kelly eluded to would be New England Corner Malcolm Butler. An undrafted rookie who won the Patriots the Superbowl with an interception in the closing stages. It’s been done before and it’s evident that Rice is playing with a chip on his shoulder. He wants to prove everybody wrong, he want’s to show his worth ant not only make the roster..but secure a starting role.
Only time will tell if he can beat a similarly built Jaylen Watkins to the position, but for me..it’s Denzel Rice that has been consistently been making the plays at Camp. Ask anyone that’s watched him practice with the birds. It’s Rice that’s always at the epicentre of every play. It’s Rice that’s making the big hits and stripping the ball off of someone as strong as Tim Tebow.
E.J Biggers has seven years experience, but his talent and athletic ability are what has held him back and resulted in what’s become a journeyman career. Whilst Watkins should be leading the charge, he has been quiet in training camp..if there’s one thing we’ve learned from any training camp for any team..it’s that names on paper mean nothing. It’s what happens on the field that matters..and all the spotlights have been turned onto the man who made the All- Big South Second team in 2013 this past week.
In his second season for Carolina, Rice tied the top of the league for passes broken up with nine and defended an average of 0.83 passes per game.
Oh and this video may be five years old…but raw talent has no age. You either have it, or you don’t..it’s time to stop sleeping on Denzel Rice.
