“Hello Chris? Hey, Howie again. Listen, that Minkah kid. No don’t hang up! I know I did you dirty on that Ajayi trade, but it did get you Kalen Ballage! NO WAIT, sorry for bringing him up after his -1 yard rushing last week. I just want to make you an offer on Fitzpatrick. No not Ryan. Minkah. Let’s do business.”
This is what I imagine Howie Roseman’s morning conversation with Dolphins’ GM Chris Grier will be this morning, or at least I hope. Defensive special assistant Matt Burke will surely be sitting next to Howie during this conversation.
Reports surfaced early Friday morning that the Dolphins are allowing second year defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick to seek a trade:
Former first-round pick Minkah Fitzpatrick has received permission from the Miami Dolphins to seek a trade, per @mortreport.https://t.co/hkJCyxnd5a
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 13, 2019
Fitzpatrick is a dynamic defensive back who is in his second year of his rookie deal. He is only 22, 23 in November, and is only 10 months older than the top cornerback prospect Trevon Diggs (also from Alabama) and only 22 months older than the top safety prospect Grant Delpit (LSU).
* A little fun fact while researching this: both Diggs and Delpit share the same birthday, one year apart. You’re welcome *
Back to Fitzpatrick. As a rookie last season, with the aforementioned Matt Burke as his defensive coordinator, he had 80 tackles, two interceptions, and a pick six. His skillset fits the Eagles’ defensive scheme perfectly.
Versatility
You’ll immediately think of a current Eagles defensive back if you look at Fitzpatrick’s defensive alignments last season, according to ProFootballFocus:
| Position | 2018 Snaps |
| Slot Cornerback | 379 |
| Perimeter Cornerback | 281 |
| Deep Safety | 166 |
| Box Safety | 95 |
| Defensive Line (Edge Blitz/TE coverage) | 23 |
| Total |
944 |
Can’t think of anyone on the Eagles who is all over the field like that?
Malcolm Jenkins 2019 defensive snap breakdown by @PFF:
Defensive line: 122
Box: 514
Slot cornerback: 362
Wide cornerback: 30
Free safety: 148#Eagles— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) July 17, 2019
An acquisition of Fitzpatrick would allow Jim Schwartz and Matt Burke to be extremely creative with their defensive alignments. This would make offensive coordinators go crazy. With the likes of Matt Stafford, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and Russell Wilson on the schedule this season, the Eagles need all the versatility they can get.
But those are just some silly stats right? You need to see to believe? Well let’s look at some tape on the next page and see just how great Fitzpatrick is.
Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
