Will Eagles' revamped secondary be an upgrade?

[time2rock]

Will Eagles' revamped secondary be an upgrade?

 

 

 

Reuben Frank

EAGLES INSIDER

Steve Nelson is a Houston Texan. Rodney McLeod is an Indianapolis Colt. Anthony Harris isn’t anywhere at the moment.

The Eagles’ 2022 secondary consists of incumbent Darius Slay and three new starters, and while there’s now a clear upgrade in talent, there are also plenty of questions about how this whole thing will come together once the regular season begins.

Which is soon.

This is the first time the Eagles have turned over 75 percent of their starting defensive backfield since 2014 and 2015, when Byron Maxwell, Nolan Carroll and Walter Thurmond replaced Bradley Fletcher, Cary Williams and Nate Allen.

Thurmond and Maxwell were gone a year later. And things should go a little better this time around.

But it might take a while. This is a lot of change at a position that demands a high level of communication and trust.

How did the Eagles get here?

When last year ended, Howie Roseman knew he had to upgrade the secondary - among other positions. The Eagles ranked last in the NFL in opposing completion percentage [69.4 percent], 21st in passing touchdowns allowed, 23rd in opposing passer rating and 20th in interceptions.

And all those numbers were even worse the first half of the season.

The Eagles became only the seventh team in NFL history to allow a 69 percent completion percentage and at least 28 passing touchdowns while recording 12 or fewer interceptions.

The secondary needed some serious fixing.

The first thing Roseman and the coaching staff did this offseason was decide not to bring back veterans Nelson or McLeod, who were free agents. They didn’t even make them offers.

When the draft went by without the Eagles taking a defensive back for only the second time since Roseman became GM in 2010, it was fair to wonder what the heck they were doing.

But in May the Eagles signed James Bradberry, a Pro Bowl corner in 2020, then they promoted Marcus Epps to the starting lineup after he played well in limited action a year ago and then they got the final piece of the new unit last week when they acquired Chauncey Gardner-Johnson from the Saints, which allowed them to release Harris.

Average age of last year’s starting secondary: 30.

Average age of this year’s starting secondary: 27.

In all, the Eagles have six new projected defensive starters from opening day last year: Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, Kyzir White and the three new defensive backs. Not to mention Jordan Davis, who probably won’t start but should play a lot.

The challenge in the back end is that Bradberry is new here, Epps has never been a full-time starter and Gardner-Johnson just arrived nine days ago.

And the regular season is four days away.

How can the Eagles make this work?

"That typically takes some time, but in the NFL there's not a lot of time,” defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon said Tuesday. "I feel good about where that room is at. When you add new pieces, (if) they can think and process and they're smart, once they understand the why, then they just need some time on task to playing with each other.”

But they haven’t had that time.

Epps, Bradberry and Slay each played five snaps in the entire preseason. Gardner-Johnson played 16, but they were all for the Saints.

Nickel Avonte Maddox is back along with Slay and Epps. Other d-backs on the 53 include corners Zech McPhearson and Josh Jobe, safeties K’Von Wallace and Reed Blankenship and combo Josiah Scott.

Reed and Jobe, who are both undrafted rookies, make it four guys in the secondary who weren’t here last year.

"Going through OTAs and camp, I like where that room is at,” Gannon said. "And then the addition of Chauncey, they're getting him caught up to speed, as well. I think it'll be pretty seamless.”

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/will-eagles-revamped-secondary-be-upgrade

[Rob331]

I'm disappointed in Roob. The article is a waste. No real analysis of the revamped secondary. 

I am tired of the Philly medias propensity to find the dark lining to every silver cloud. We got a better safety than we've had,but all they focus on is "will he be ready".

[birdman#12]

7 hours ago, Rob331 said:

I'm disappointed in Roob. The article is a waste. No real analysis of the revamped secondary. 

I am tired of the Philly medias propensity to find the dark lining to every silver cloud. We got a better safety than we've had,but all they focus on is "will he be ready".

Rueben Frank is one of the worst sportswriters I've ever read........he doesn't do real analysis because he can't.  For a guy who supposedly has been around pro football that much, I don't think he even understands the fundamentals of the game.......he certainly doesn't get the intricacies of player positions and development.

And no matter how well the team or player plays, he ALWAYS points out the negatives with no explanation or analysis.

It's a disgrace that Frank gets paid for the crap he writes......