Why Tariq Woolen Is A One-Year Rental For Eagles -- Even If He Has A Huge Season

The best player for the Philadelphia Eagles this spring has been Tariq Woolen.

Woolen already looks to be a star in Vic Fangio's defense, a player the Eagles were fortunate to get this offseason. Thanks to how things played out after his rookie contract, Woolen wasn't getting top-tier cornerback money.

This is how the Eagles were able to land Woolen on a one-year, $12 million deal, all fully guaranteed with four void years for salary cap purposes. Woolen has an opportunity to have a bounce-back year in Vic Fangio's defense, and early signs are trending that way.

Fangio wanted Woolen in the past, and is more than excited to have him with Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in this defense.

"He's a rare guy in that you don't see many corners in the league that are 6'4." You don't see many that are 6'2" or even 6'1" and there's a reason for that," Fangio said. "It's hard to find guys at those heights that can move and mirror receivers that are hard to cover.

"He can do that for a guy his height. He can get in and out of breaks. He obviously has good downfield speed and his length is more of an asset than a detriment in his case... He's into being here and really looking forward to working with him."

Woolen is only on one-year deal with the Eagles, and it is likely to only be for one year whether he plays well or not.

Commit to other cornerbacks

The Eagles have two All-Pro cornerbacks on their oster already in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Both players are extension eligible after the season and will be extended by the Eagles sooner rather than later.

Mitchell is one of the premier cornerbacks in football, a true definition of a shutdown cornerback. he may be the best player on the Eagles.

DeJean isn't far behind Mitchell. He's arguably the best slot cornerback in the NFL, earning First Team All-Pro honors in his second season. Both Mitchell and DeJean were home run picks in the 2024 draft class, setting the Eagles secondary up for a decade.

The Eagles are going to sign both players to massive extensions. DeJean likely will be first since he doesn't have a fifth-year option (wasn't a first-round pick).

There's going to be a cap for the cornerback position by the Eagles front office, which Mitchell and DeJean will take a majority of that space. There just isn't going to be enough room for Woolen if he plays well.

A win-win for the Eagles and Fangio

Even if Woolen is only in Philadelphia for a season, the Eagles are paying him $12 million to solve a problem that was constant throughout last season. The Eagles just didn't have an outside cornerback to line up with Mitchell.

Adoree Jackson was okay, but he is still a free agent in late June. Jackson hasn't signed with any team yet, which is telling about where he stands on the market given his age (30) and production as a starter in the league.

Neither Kelee Ringo nor Jakorian Bennett could take the reins from Jackson, solidifying their future as starting cornerbacks (at least for the Eagles). Philadelphia was proactive this offseason in bringing Woolen in, hoping to revitalize his career.

Woolen was an elite cover corner in his rookie season, allowing a 46.1 passer rating when opposing quarterbacks targeted him. The passer rating allowed as gone up each season, while Woolen has just six interceptions over the past three seasons (had six in his rookie year).

The transition to Mike Macdonald's defense didn't help Woolen, as his skill set appears to be a better fit for Fangio's scheme. Whether Woolen plays well or not, he's a starting cornerback in the league with tremendous upside.

If Woolen plays well, he'll get a big contract elsewhere. If he doesn't, the Eagles probably aren't bringing him back anyway.

This looks to be a one-year deal for both parties. A one-year deal that should benefit the Eagles and Woolen.

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