PHILADELPHIA – Another week of practice and another preseason game is now behind the Eagles and there is still no clear front runner for the Eagles’ second starting outside cornerback spot. Kelee Ringo, Adoree Jackson and Jakorian Bennett continue to jockey with one another to try and finish atop the depth chart opposite of Quinyon Mitchell when the Sept. 4 opener comes around in a couple of weeks.
Who will finally standout for the Eagles?
Vic Fangio spoke to the media Monday morning and the first two questions he was asked was in regard to the most vital position battle where heading into training camp, it seemed that Ringo was the one to win the job with his physical traits while learning the nuances of the position, despite the team bringing in the veteran Jackson. Bennett is still new and will get another full week under his belt but saw a ton of reps in the preseason loss to the Browns on Saturday.
“They are all close. Usually, it does become pretty obvious to everybody who will win the job. That hasn’t happened yet,” Fangio said. “I think they have done a good job in their own ways. Some good moments, some not so good moments. So, we haven’t reached that conclusion yet.”
This is how the three Eagles’ cornerbacks faired on Saturday:
Jakorian Bennett — 3 targets, 1 catch allowed, 6 yards, PBU
Kelee Ringo — 2 targets, 1 catch allowed, 19 yards
Adoree’ Jackson — 2 targets, 2 catches allowed, 16 yards
On the surface, the trio did not get burned for any big gains, but Bennett perhaps stood out the most with his athleticism and with his pass break up which was well played. Ringo also played well into the third quarter, an indicator that he has not separated himself as the leader of the pack.
“It’s pretty good. Everybody is out there competing and we are all seeing our best out of each other and that’s all we want to see. Everything’s going to pan out the way it should,” Ringo said.
Ringo added on if the three have had much discussion on the battle and their performances to this point: “It’s not too much of our concern individually. We can’t control what anybody else does or where we feel like somebody is in a race. We just feed off each other and try to build each other up. Beyond anything else, that isn’t going to help any of us. Believe in yourself overall over anything.”
Bennett spoke to media after Monday’s practice and candidly said that it has been a bit challenging to adjust with all the moving parts from joining a new team and battling for a starting spot.
“I’d be lying if I said it was easy,” Bennett said. “But they are doing a good job getting me acclimated. I’m a pro for a reason. I’m gonna come in and go about doing things the right way and I’m going to keep chopping. Rome wasn’t built in a day…I’m going to continue stacking.”
He did credit that the young stars in the secondary have welcomed him with open arms, making the transition a bit easier.
“The players have been doing a good job treating me like a brother. Especially, Q and Coop, Reed (Blankenship), all the boys in the DB room they have been helping me a lot.”
Moving forward
At Monday’s practice, it was reported that Jackson lined up opposite of Mitchell in first team drills while more notably, Mac McWilliams, who saw reps at outside cornerback during practice and in the game on Saturday rotated with the starters ahead of Ringo.
Fangio also indicated that Cooper DeJean would see reps at outside cornerback on Monday.
DeJean is expected to still remain in the slot, but it does appear Fangio and the Eagles are leaving no stone unturned with DeJean getting reps on the outside, a position he hasn’t played since his days at Iowa.
If the regular season started tomorrow, as it stands, Jackson would be the starting cornerback alongside Mitchell against Dallas. Bennett has the highest upside of the trio while Jackson provides the best floor and you know what you’re getting with him as a veteran. Ringo has been a little more uneven and based on Monday’s practice he has some catching up to do.
The Eagles have two more practices and their final preseason game against the Jets on Friday night to figure out who will take the starting role whether someone makes it obvious or not.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
