5 cornerbacks for Eagles to target in free agency this year

[time2rock]

5 cornerbacks for Eagles to target in free agency this year

 

When NFL free agency begins on March 16, the Eagles will be looking to bolster a roster that made it to the playoffs in Year 1 under Nick Sirianni.

We’ll look position-by-position for some possible targets. We started with running backs, receivers, quarterbacks, offensive linemen and tight ends, defensive tackles, defensive ends and linebackers. We'll keep it going today with corners.

The Eagles will bring back Darius Slay and Avonte Maddox in 2022 but will probably lose veteran Steven Nelson, who filled the very important CB2 role. It’s an important spot for the Eagles because Slay travels and because Maddox is much better playing inside.

Here are five free agent corners who might make some sense for the Eagles:

Donte Jackson: The former second-round pick out of LSU just finished up his four-year rookie contract with some big production numbers and athleticism. He had a career-low two picks in 2021 but has 12 since entering the league in 2018 to go along with 209 tackles. There are some cornerbacks who are really going to break the bank this offseason but Jackson is in the second tier. He makes a lot of sense in the Eagles’ zone-heavy scheme and while he would likely get a contract that would pay him more annually than the Eagles paid Nelson, Jackson is still young and is worthy of a multi-year deal.

Rasul Douglas: Hello, old friend. After a circuitous route to get to Green Bay, Douglas ended up thriving with the Packers and is now in line to get a nice contract on the open market. Maybe the Eagles don’t want to bring back a former player but their scheme is much different now and Douglas would be a much better fit. He has certain limitations but we saw what he can do in the right situation in 2021.

Akhello Witherspoon: For the second time in two years, Witherspoon is a free agent. In Pittsburgh in 2021, Witherspoon didn’t get off to a good start but he played much better down the stretch. The former 49ers’ third-round pick ended up playing in 9 games with 3 starts for the Steelers in 2021. Witherspoon (6-2, 195) still hasn’t turned 27 and while he might not be an upgrade from Nelson, he could fit in nicely with the Eagles.

Xavier Rhodes: He’ll be 32 when the 2022 season starts so it’s not like Rhodes would be a long-term fix. But The idea of bringing in the former Pro Bowler isn’t a bad one, especially given his history with Jonathan Gannon, who coached him in Minnesota and in Indianapolis. If the Eagles draft a cornerback on Day 1 or 2, having them sit behind Rhodes for a year wouldn’t be the worst idea.

D.J. Reed Jr.: The knock on Reed is an obvious one. He’s a 5-foot-9 outside corner, which will make people remember how Maddox struggled at the same height on the outside. The difference here is that Reed has proven himself as a starting outside corner. While there have been some injury issues, when Reed’s on the field he has attributes that make up for his lack of height. And his familiarity of zone defenses should be appealing to the Eagles, as should his age. He doesn’t even turn 26 until November and he has already played four NFL seasons.

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/2022-eagles-free-agency-5-possible-cornerback-targets

[UK_EaglesFan89]

I'd be good with them bringing Rasul back but I think he's going to end to staying in Green Bay? I can't see them letting him go and he's said if they want him back he'll go back.