The Eagles finally did it. Howie Roseman rose from the dead on the third day like Jesus Christ and traded for Darius Slay. In a move that massively helps out the major need for the Eagles, Philly is now set to have an interesting end to the first wave of free agency.
Whilst Slay massively helps out with the main issue the Eagles had at the cornerback position, some will argue that they still need more bodies around Slay to help out. Whether those bodies come from the draft or the remaining free agency guys is yet to be seen, but here are a few options that are left for the Eagles to put around Darius Slay.
Logan Ryan
The former Patriot and Titans cornerback is currently looking for a new team this offseason due to the Titans not extending his stay. Ryan had the best stint of his career back with the Patriots in 2013-2016 where he had 13 picks in just 4 years. His stats did slump during his first two years in Tennesse but he picked his production up this year with 4 picks during the team’s underdog story in the playoffs. Who could forget that he picked off Brady, in Brady’s final throw as a Patriot?
The 5-foot 11 corner saw an extreme spike in production from 2018 to 2019. He didn’t have a single pick in 2018 but in 2019 he picked QB’s off 4 times. In 2018 he allowed a QB rating of 102 against him but had a 3.8% missed tackle percentage, however, in 2019 he allowed a QB rating of just 88.7 but had an 8.9% missed tackle percentage.
After looking at his tape, Logan seems like a great fit for the Eagles’ scheme-wise and from what I’ve seen and heard, he seems a fantastic role model for younger players – something the Eagles will be looking for after the departure of Malcolm Jenkins.
Prince Amukamara
The former Bears, Jags, and Giants corner has been around the league since 2011 when he was drafted 19th overall by the Giants. However, the Bears haven’t extended his stay in Chicago so he is looking for a new team this offseason.
The 30-year-old corner is coming off a very strange season for the Bears. He failed to log a single interception; allowing a 105.2 QB rating against him and a missed tackle percentage of 7%. In the season before, when he was strictly a corner, he had great stats. Prince managed 3 interceptions, a QB rating of just 75.3 and a missed tackle percentage of just 4.3%.
Prince, in my eyes, would be a solid addition to the Eagles secondary. However, it will only work if Philly keeps him as a CB2 under the shadows of Slay.
Also, just think of the couple’s new nickname – Prince Slay!
Nickell Robey-Coleman
Nickell Robey-Coleman is looking for a new team this season after being released by the LA Rams. The former Bills corner has struggled to really make himself a starting NFL corner and the Eagles may give him a chance to prove he still has what it takes to be one.
Robey-Coleman isn’t the most productive corner in the world, especially in this free agency class, but you have to take into account he averages between 50-60% of the team’s snaps on defense.
In 2018 and 2019, his QB rating against him was pretty good with it standing at 87.9 and 86.9 respectively. However, there’s a major issue with Robey-Coleman and its one that the Eagles cannot afford to ignore.
In 2018, Nickell had a missed tackle percentage of 15.9% and that rose to 18.2% in 2019. We all know the issues the Eagles secondary has had in missed tackles so adding another corner who misses tackles that many times seems like a step backward.
The other way the Eagles could acquire their corners is through the NFL Draft. Philly has 8 picks this year, and it seems Howie and the crew are dead set on using every single one of them to fix the issues with the roster. Kristian Fulton is a first-round prospect that I love for the Eagles. He’s a physical corner who has great speed, running a 4.46 40-yard dash. Other names that frequently come up for me when I’m producing my mocks are Troy Pride Jr, Essang Bassey, and Nevelle Clarke.
It’s safe to say that Howie Roseman really did mean business this free agency. Trading for someone like Slay after missing out on Jones proves that Howie is still in this and if he can get a partner for Slay then the Eagles will be in a great position heading into the draft!
Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
