Who Stays, Who Goes: Cornerbacks
Darius Slay had a Pro Bowl season, veteran stop-gap Steve Nelson proved to be a solid complement on the other side outside the numbers, and Avonte Maddox finally got to settle into the slot just in time to earn a contract extension.
The Eagles’ cornerback group was one of the more pleasant surprises for Jonathan Gannon’s defense and the fact that all were able to stand the rigors of a 17-game season and stay healthy for the most part masked some of the uncertainty with depth at the position.
Gannon's mindset was to limit the big plays while allowing his veteran CBs the autonomy to play off or press coverage for the most part which was not popular with the fan base but proved to be successful at the position over the larger sample size of a full season.
Philadelphia was able to cobble together a playoff berth without having to test any of its young, unproven options like rookie fourth-round pick Zech McPhearson, trade pickups Josiah Scott, Tay Gowan, and Kary Vincent Jr, as well as waiver-wire stab Mac McCain.
The playing time reveals what went on with Nelson in 983 defensive snaps, Slay handling 955, and Maddox, the nickel back, in for a career-high 730.
Other than Week 18 rest and a couple of minor injuries limiting some time for Slay and Maddox, the three starters proved to be very durable and effective.
Slay, 31, was a true CB1 and one of the most impactful defenders in the entire NFL with three defensive touchdowns en route to his fourth career Pro Bowl selection and first in Philadelphia. Around the league, only Jalen Ramsey of the NFC champion LA Rams, Atlanta’s A.J. Terrell, and Washington’s Kendall Fuller received higher grades from Pro Football Focus.
Nelson, 29, was a prudent late-summer signing to a cost-effective one-year deal after the former Kansas City and Pittsburgh starter didn’t find the market to his liking.
What the Eagles offered Nelson was the opportunity to start right away and he quickly slotted in as the CB2 in training camp despite being signed on July 25. While not a star (he was graded as No. 61 of 120 CBs by PFF), Nelson proved he was still a starting-level CB and will now be able to hit free agency again and see what’s there for him.
The upside to that could be a two-year, $12- or $13-million deal for Nelson, PFF salary-cap guru Brad Spielberger told SI.com's Eagle Maven.
If a similar lack of interest is again present, however, the Eagles could do worse than bringing Nelson back, but the smart money has the Eagles addressing CB with one of their three scheduled first-round picks (Nos. 15, 16, and 19) in April’s draft, something Nelson and his camp will be keenly aware of, meaning Nelson will likely be looking for a better opportunity elsewhere.
After three seasons of being forced to play out of position due to injuries and necessity, be it at outside CB or free safety, Maddox, who will turn 26 on March 31, settled inside at his natural position and took off, grading out as No. 24 of 120 by PFF and one of the best slot corners in the NFL.
That earned Maddox a three-year, $22.5 million extension in November that should keep him in Philadelphia through 2024.
The depth is unproven, to say the least. McPherson was the top outside backup and struggled when pressed into action for short periods although the Texas Tech product via Penn State excelled as a gunner on special teams.
The 179 defensive snaps McPhearson, 23, did get were a nice way to dip his toes into the NFL waters, however, and the Eagles are bullish on his future. It should be noted, however, that many personnel execs view McPhearson’s future inside and the Eagles are well-stocked there with Maddox and his backup, Scott.
Scott, 22, is a lot like Maddox physically at 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds with top-tier speed for the slot but is limited to inside work due to a lack of length. Vincent, 22, and McCain, 23, proved to be solid special teams players when given opportunities.
It should be noted that the Eagles sent a 2022 sixth-round pick to Denver for Vincent, who was a seventh-round pick of the Broncos in April of last year so Howie Roseman and Co. see some value there.
The same holds true for Gowan, 24, who was acquired in the Zach Ertz deal with Arizona. The Eagles liked him in the 2021 draft coming out of Central Florida when the Cards selected him in the sixth round.
At 6-2, Gowan has the length and speed to give him the highest ceiling of the young options because McPhearson is likely a slot CB in the long-tern.
Also back on a futures deal is Craig James, another special-teams standout who proved to be scrappy when forced into action in the Jim Schwartz era but fell behind the younger options brought in by the Eagles in 2021.
STAY: Darius Slay, Avonte Maddox, Zech McPhearson, Tay Gowan, Kary Vincent Jr, Mac McCain (futures deal)
GO: Steve Nelson (UFA), Craig James (futures deal)
See other who stays, who goes articles at www.eaglemaven.com
-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's EagleMaven and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on both PhillyVoice.com and YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Extending the Play" on AM1490 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Eagle Maven and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglemaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
