The last few weeks have been very surreal for the Philadelphia Eagles. From a bumpy coaching search to replace Chip Kelly to signing seven new faces including both a new Offensive and Defensive Coordinator. With the foundations set in place, many are looking ahead to the draft and beyond..but forgetting about one man in particular.
When looking at the Eagles contract situation, fans often feel a little uneasy..and rightly so. The newly rebuilt secondary could come crumbling down very quickly if both Nolan Carroll and Walter Thurmond are not signed to new contracts. Not to mention EJ Biggers, the now eight year veteran who had a surprisingly important role to play as the season progressed.
The Eagles could potentially lose three corner’s this off-season which wouldn’t leave much in the way of star talent or depth..but there’s one man who many overlook..because he’s yet to take an NFL snap.
Back in OTA’s, Darren Sproles made contact with rookie cornerback JaCorey Shepherd, knocking the sixth round pick out of Kansas to the ground and as a result tearing his ACL. Shepherd was sidelined for the season before his year had even begun, a heartbreak for any rookie..especially one that was almost guaranteed to see a lot of playing time alongside Eric Rowe.
Many regarded Shepherd to be the steal of the NFL draft and as OTA’s began to take shape, he was among the most impressive players out there according to various reports at the time..but he’s now had a year away from the spotlight and a year taken off of his NFL career..with yet another potential secondary rebuild on the horizon, Shepherd has to be more hungry than ever before to make the roster.
In his final season for Kansas, Shepherd Played in all 12 games and started eleven. He made 30 tackles and 3 interceptions with a total of 8 passes defended over two years. It’s easy to see how dominant he can be..but perhaps the injury was for the best, even if it may not seem like it.
Billy Davis had a Defense that was simply never consistent. The monster contract of Byron Maxwell was regarded as a bad decision by many after just a few games into the season and the refusal to adapt to a scenario cost the team so many times. Malcolm Jenkins, Eric Rowe and Walter Thurmond all had brilliant seasons considering, but still don’t receive the praise they could..because they were in a system that didn’t compliment their playing style and that almost guaranteed they started most drives with a handicap due to early Offensive failures.
Back in 2008, when Jim Schwartz was the Defensive Coordinator for the Titans..the top 7 defenders on the team had 60 or more tackles, four of those players played in the Secondary. Out of his last five seasons as a coach ( one as Buffalo’s DC and 4 as Detroit’s HC) his Defense had 29 or more takeaways in three of them. Schwartz knows how to turn an ineffective Secondary that ranks near the bottom of the league in most categories and turn them into something great.
Shepherd is a natural press corner who mirrors beautifully..but his first full NFL season will see him tutored by Jim Schwartz. Schwartz is a man who acknowledges how difficult it is to be a successful corner and a coach who really can get the most out of the talent he currently has.
The problem the Secondary faced this year was physicality (piggy baxwell) and that will soon change under Schwartz..the team also struggled when keeping their connections to wide receivers..again, Maxwell was the main culprit here. The one thing Shepherd does well is sticking to his receivers like glue.
Davis leaned towards man coverage which would have seen Shepherd’s skill set almost disregarded if he were healthy. It’s also that kind of coverage that allowed the likes of Megatron and Brandon Marshall to break free so easily. Under Schwartz however, that could change entirely and it’s arguably the best thing to happen to this Secondary in the last three years..and the best thing to happen to Shepherd so far.
He may not be the toughest corner the Eagles have, but he’s perhaps one of the most responsive and effective if you were to look at college numbers. Shepherd has the fundamentals to be a great shutdown corner in the NFL and if his first year as a player is going to be under the tutelage of Jim Schwartz, he will only get better. With Rowe’s emergence and a veteran presence in Maxwell,not to mention free-agency..Shepherd could arguably be in an even better position next August than he was entering his rookie year. The company is more supportive and he will be part of a team that treats Offense and Defense with the same values..instead of being dropped in the deep end and having to play a 70/30 ratio to the Offense, Shepherd will be able to find his feet in the NFL and progress at an accelerated pace.
In August, people called Shepherd the steal of the draft but since then his name has faded into obscurity..perhaps Jim Schwartz will awaken the beast and prove that a total rebuild may not be what this Secondary needs after all…
Photo credit: Jeff Fusco/Phillymag
