Handicapping the Eagles' CB2 Race
During the first two waves of free agency, the Eagles believe they've gotten Jim Schwartz his answers at CB1 and nickel back with Darius Slay and Nickell Robey-Coleman, respectively.
Certainty at any of the cornerback positions is something Schwartz isn’t used to since he arrived in Philadelphia, so it’s a luxury to be debating who will be playing on the outside opposite Slay, the three-time Pro Bowl selection acquired from Detroit earlier this month.
The perceived leaders in the clubhouse are the two players from the 2017 draft who were supposed to solve the issues to begin with, Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas.
Jones, a perceived first-round talent who ended up in the second round because of the torn Achilles’ that ruined his pro day, essentially redshirted his rookie season in Philadelphia before being ramped up. Since then persistent soft-tissue injuries and a failure to embrace the physicality of the position have had Jones yo-yoing in and out of the lineup.
Conversely, Douglas, a third-round pick back in 2017, has been the most sturdy player at a position devastated by injuries as a whole for Philadelphia, perhaps no surprise due to his size and physicality.
Projected as a press-coverage and/or off coverage CB coming out of West Virginia because of his frame and ball skills, Douglas has performed at times but has also been terribly inconsistent. Speed deficiencies and miscommunication have been the two charges leveled at him most often.
By the end of last season, Schwartz didn’t want either Jones or Douglas on the field.
Both are now entering the final seasons of their rookie deals and Douglas has been shopped around, an NFL source told SI.com, a clear indication that he’s not in Philadelphia’s plans past the 2020 season.
Jones’ resume to date is incomplete and that uncertainty, along with his prodigious physical skills, seem to be generating another opportunity, at least in the mind of Howie Roseman.
“I think that (Jones and Douglas are) in two different situations,” Roseman said during a wide-ranging conference call on Thursday.
For Jones, the instructions from the organization are clear and to that end, the Los Angles native has been working with well-regarded defensive backs coach Ronnie Braxton in the Dallas area.
With the COVID-19 pandemic turning the NFL’s offseason calendar into a question mark, players are being left to their own devices and those being proactive about it figure to have an advantage once the all-clear is sounded for on-field work.
Roseman’s belief is that Jones “really has to have the opportunity to have an offseason where instead of rehabbing he’s really working on his body and coming into camp (healthy) because we do feel like this is a guy that when we’ve seen him healthy he does have a skill set.
"He’s got to go prove it."
The words were not nearly as optimistic with Douglas mainly because the Eagles believe they’ve seen enough of the North Jersey product for a fair evaluation.
“Rasul has a body of work that’s kind of been put out there,” Roseman explained. “So for him, he’s just got to keep continuing to work on it and competing.”
While reading tea leaves isn’t an exact science, the implication, coupled with the trade winds, paint a clearer picture.
What isn’t quite as clear is what Schwartz himself wants and that might be Avonte Maddox, the 5-foot-9 slot corner, who has been effective when pushed outside in the past and now is looking up at Robey-Coleman inside.
“I grew up admiring the Darrell Greens and Aaron Glenns of the world, and these guys, they’re explosive, twitched-up guys who had an incredible vertical, and it’s hard to get the ball on them,” said Roseman when asked about Maddox potentially moving outside the numbers for good. “Avonte’s got a lot of those same characteristics.”
For GM’s it’s often about pedigree more than production. After all, a personnel man’s job is defined by the success, or lack thereof, of his premium picks. Coaches, however, eventually default to production because their job performances are graded on wins and losses.
To date, Schwartz has trusted Maddox more than Jones or Douglas and don’t be surprised if that’s the case again come September.
“This is a guy who has started on the outside for us in playoff games,” Roseman said of Maddox. “He has the ability to have sticky coverage with receivers inside or out. He’s got a great mentality, and he’s got a great physical skill set.
“.. so yeah, we feel like he’s a guy who can play all over the secondary and certainly feel comfortable with him outside as well."
John McMullen covers the Eagles for SI.com. You can listen to John every day at 4 ET on ESPN 97.3 in South Jersey and reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
