The Eagles have an interesting situation brewing within their defense this offseason. After being declared as the weak link of the 2023 season, it seems as if the cornerback group may be the strength of this year’s defensive unit. Yes, you heard that right. For the first time in a long time, we may see a very good unit in the secondary.
But it’s the journey to week one that has me very curious at the moment. With all of the talent that the Eagles cornerback room has, they actually may not have enough room for all of them. Off of the top of your head, you are already counting the names of Darius Slay, Isaiah Rodgers, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Avonte Maddox, and yes, James Bradberry as well.
That’s six names already without counting their budding star in Kelee Ringo, the great potential of Eli Ricks, a reliable nickel corner in Tyler Hall, the UDFA rookie in Shon Stephens, and the seasoned youngsters in Josh Jobe, Mario Goodrich, and Zech McPherson. Granted, the season is nowhere near us but this is quite the log jam of talented defensive backs.
The Eagles’ Bradberry dilemma
These aren’t guys that can’t start or be backups on other teams. These are legit playmakers in the secondary including James Bradberry whom Eagles fans have already moved on from. But the fact of the matter is that he will still be here until he is no longer here. It’s an incredible situation honestly. If you think about the pros and cons of it then you may need a drink already this morning if you’re Nick Sirianni and Howie Roseman.
If you do move on from Bradberry when the opportunity is presented then you’ve escaped a bad contract and have opened up a spot. That would mean that you start the season with Darius Slay and Isaiah Rodgers as your starting corners with Avonte Maddox as the starting nickel cornerback. Rodgers was apparently better than advertised during the Eagles’ mandatory minicamp and is moving with zero rust.
Now if those are your starters then your next unit should be Quinyon Mitchell, Kelee Ringo, and Cooper DeJean. That’s an incredible second unit to deploy if anyone goes to injury. Right there you have your six rostered cornerbacks but there’s a wrinkle of concern. Kelee Ringo is going into his sophomore season and showed incredible promise last season. Should he be on the bench in favor of Rodgers?
Maybe so but what about the first-round picks that you invested in? Most first-round cornerbacks enter their first season as unquestionable starters. Will Quinyon be forced to take a backseat? Cooper DeJean may have the easiest path to starting than the other two due to the injury history of Avonte Maddox.
When healthy, Avonte Maddox is one of the top nickel corners in the NFL but his recent string of bad luck injuries has plagued him. We all know how the saying goes, a player’s “best ability is availability.” Could the Eagles keep seven cornerbacks on their 53-man roster while rotating an additional one off of the practice squad for the season?
Would you make sure that Eli Ricks or Zech McPherson stay on the 53-man to keep their untapped potential around? McPherson has yet to truly show us anything due to injuries and lack of playing time but we saw the potential of Eli Rick’s last season and it left many fans excited.
It’s an incredible situation to be in for the Eagles. Especially after how last season’s group performed. I wouldn’t put it past Howie Roseman to use a couple of their guys as trade bait but I do believe that there is a core six that they are more than comfortable with. It’s just a matter of time until we see the entire vision unfold.
AP Photo/Derik Hamilton
