With the Eagles forming an offensive arsenal over the last two days, attention has rightly turned to the other side of the ball. The Eagles have a glaring need at cornerback and as it stands, will be relying solely on the draft to fill it. That statement holds even more weight now that the Eagles biggest rival have poached their former cornerback, Nolan Carroll.
#Cowboys are signing cornerback Nolan Carroll to a 3-year, $10 million deal with $4M in the first year, source said.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 11, 2017
According to Tom Pelissero, the Cowboys have signed the 30-year old corner to a 3-year deal. There was a lot of speculation over whether or not the Eagles would bring back the corner who had just finished his third season in midnight green. Originally drafted by the Dolphins, Carroll was reported to have started negotiations over a new deal with the Eagles back at the end of December. However it’s the Cowboys who were seemingly willing to pay $4M to the Maryland product.
He may not have been as consistent as hoped..and injuries may have still hurt his progress, but Carroll was solid for most of 2016 in a Secondary that simply lacked at the best of times. Matching a career high in pass breakups and recording 55 tackles, Carroll really took to the Defense of Jim Schwartz.
Carroll had some exceptional games, including a standout performance against Atlanta and a dominant showing against the Giants in the penultimate matchup of the season. Carroll played well at times, but his form was often shrouded with inconsistency and costly mistakes. While he seemed to thrive in a more aggressive system, it’s the lingering injury problems and lack of overall consistency that cost him in 2016 after such an impressive campaign in the year before, that was also cut short.
For the Eagles, it means that two of their starting cornerbacks from 2016 are no longer with the team. The only remaining starter is Ron Brooks. The need is glaring for the Eagles, but will they address that in the coming weeks, or instead rely on a draft littered with NFL ready talent?
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
