Eagles Sign Suspended CB Isaiah Rodgers; Another Howie Heist?
PHILADELPHIA – Howie Roseman did it again. The Philadelphia Eagles general manager pulled yet another personnel heist in broad daylight when he signed Isaiah Rodgers on Monday afternoon.
Did he catch some other general managers sleeping in or can you honestly say that no other team wasn't interested in bringing in a cornerback who was ranked as the fifth-best in the league by Pro Football Focus only last season and is just 25 years-old?
Maybe some viewed Rodgers as a pariah of sorts after the NFL handed him an indefinite suspension for gambling during the offseason. He isn’t expected to apply for reinstatement until after this season.
Receiver Calvin Ridley sat out all last season after being suspended for gambling but was reinstated this season and is expected to be a key contributor for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who made a trade with the Atlanta Falcons last November, even though Ridley wouldn’t be available for months afterward.
That seems to be the Eagles’ thinking.
They don’t need Rodgers this season, with two veterans in Darius Slay and James Bradberry working the corners and with a host of talented players such as Josh Jobe and Kelee Ringo waiting in the wings, along with undrafted free agents such as Eli Ricks, Mekhi Garner, and Mario Goodrich, whose roster fates will be learned later Tuesday afternoon when the Eagles must have their 53-man roster set by 4 p.m.
Next year is a long way away and plenty can happen between now and then, and that is why moving to add Rodgers now is another stroke of genius by the Eagles’ GM.
His PFF grade was 82.1 putting him in the top five of the 82 cornerbacks who played at least 250 snaps last year. His 81.5 coverage grade was the 6th-highest, and his 75.5-run defense grade was the 20th-highest.
Like Ridley did after he was suspended, Rodgers apologized earlier this summer.
"Addressing the current reports, I want to take full responsibility for my actions," Rodgers said. "I know I have made mistakes and I am willing to do whatever it takes to repair the situation. The last thing I ever wanted to do was to be a distraction to the Colts organization, my coaches, and my teammates. I've let people down that I care about.
"I made an error in judgment, and I am going to work hard to make sure that those mistakes are rectified through this process. It's an honor to play in the NFL and I have never taken that lightly. I am very sorry.”
Rodgers was in position to start for the Colts after they lost Stephen Gilmore to the Dallas Cowboys. His contract will roll over into next year, which means he will be in the final year of a deal he signed after Indy took him out of the University of Massachusetts in the 2020 draft.
The final year of his deal calls for him to make $2.7 million.
Rodgers can also return kicks, with 61 kickoff returns for 1,645 yards (27.0 average) and a 101-yard touchdown return in his three seasons in the league.
That the Eagles were simply able to take him without much resistance is another solid move by Roseman.
