How Roseman found three talented corners without drafting any of them

[time2rock]

How Roseman found three talented corners without drafting any of them

By Reuben Frank, Eagles Insider • Published August 30, 2023

 

Howie Roseman hasn’t drafted a cornerback in the first three rounds in six years. Yet he’s got a cornerback room stocked with young talent.

One of the miracles of the Eagles’ 2023 roster is the cornerback talent Roseman and his scouting staff have amassed without spending any draft picks.

Josh Jobe, a 25-year-old second-year pro from Alabama; Mario Goodrich, a 23-year-old second-year pro from Clemson; and Eli Ricks, a 21-year-old rookie from Alabama via LSU all made the 53-man roster, the first time since at least 1960 the Eagles will open a season with three undrafted cornerbacks who are all 25 or younger.

Jobe had a strong training camp and asserted early on that he was the top outside backup behind Darius Slay and James Bradberry. Goodrich benefited from Zech McPhearson’s season-ending Achilles injury, which opened up a roster spot, but he was very good in camp as well. And Ricks was one of the big stories of the summer, showing great improvement as the preseason progressed.

Last time the Eagles drafted a cornerback in the first three rounds was 2017, when they took Sidney Jones in the second round and Rasul Douglas in the third round. Both were on-and-off starters but gone by 2020. 

The Eagles are among only seven NFL teams that haven’t drafted a corner in the first three rounds of the last six drafts.

But Jobe, Goodrich and Ricks all significantly outplayed former 2nd-round pick Greedy Williams, a free agent who was released two weeks ago, as well as rookie 4^th-round pick Kelee Ringo.  

It’s rare to find one undrafted cornerback who can contribute. Before Jobe and Goodrich last year, there were guys like William Hampton in 2001, C.J. Smith in 2016 and Tre Sullivan in 2018 who made the team and had minor roles. Undrafted corners like Joselio Hanson, Cre’von LeBlanc and Craig James contributed but didn’t start their career here.

Every team is desperate for talented, young – and inexpensive – corners. How do the Eagles keep finding them?

"I don't know that there's a trick,” Howie Roseman said Tuesday after final cuts. "I think it's a great credit to our scouts for bringing those guys to our attention, and I think it's a great credit to those guys for how hard they work, and it's a great credit to our coaching staff for taking the time to develop these guys. 

"We talk all the time from the day that those guys come in our building, every day we're talking about developing, developing, developing, developing. I think that takes everyone in the building to join in on that, but obviously when they get on the field, the coaches do a great job of taking their skill set and utilizing them and having success and great credit to our defensive back coaches led by D.K. (McDonald).”

Undrafted players who can contribute are extra valuable because they’re cheap. All three of these corners have cap figures well under $1 million. When you’re already spending a fortune on your starting corners, inexpensive backups are huge in a salary cap era.

Jobe made the 53 last year and played 220 snaps on special teams. Goodrich spent the year on the practice squad. Both showed great improvement this summer.

In addition to Jobe, Goodrich and Ricks, the Eagles signed corner Isaiah Rodgers on Monday, and although he can’t play this year, he’s only 25 and could play into the future of the cornerback room. Also, McPhearson is only 25, and Ringo – a 4^th-round pick – just turned 21 in June.

But the big find this summer was Ricks, whose draft stock plummeted after he transferred from LSU to Alabama, struggled in his one year in Tuscaloosa and then declared for the draft after his junior year.

Ricks looked anything like an undrafted rookie in camp. Especially in the preseason games, where he showed up in a way he hadn’t in practice. His pick-6 off Ravens QB Anthony Brown in the first preseason game really put him on the map.

Because of his pedigree – he was once considered a likely 1^st- or 2^nd-round pick – the Eagles knew they would probably lose him if they waived him. They weren’t about to cut ties with Ringo, so they kept seven corners – the two starters, Avonte Maddox, the three undrafted guys and Ringo.

"Obviously you talk about pedigree (and) he was the No. 1 corner in the country coming out of high school and going to LSU,” Roseman said. "Then didn't have the last season that he wanted to (at Alabama), and he was a guy that we spent a lot of time on in the draft process.

"He came in with an opportunity, and I think what we saw is this is a long, instinctive player with good athleticism and ball skills. Those guys are hard to find. His work ethic, his care factor was really high.

"So that's a great success story for him when he had a lot of adversity here as a guy who really thought he would be a high pick going into the year. He came in with the right attitude, and we called him and told him he was on the team.

"At the same time, like we tell all these young players, there are no scholarships in the NFL for any of us, and so you have to keep working, have to keep improving, and we'll keep judging. We evaluate every day, and that's what we'll keep doing.”

https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/howie-roseman-talented-corners-josh-jobe-mario-goodrich-eli-ricks/534120/

[Utebird]

4 hours ago, time2rock said:

How Roseman found three talented corners without drafting any of them

By Reuben Frank, Eagles Insider • Published August 30, 2023

 

Howie Roseman hasn’t drafted a cornerback in the first three rounds in six years. Yet he’s got a cornerback room stocked with young talent.

One of the miracles of the Eagles’ 2023 roster is the cornerback talent Roseman and his scouting staff have amassed without spending any draft picks.

Josh Jobe, a 25-year-old second-year pro from Alabama; Mario Goodrich, a 23-year-old second-year pro from Clemson; and Eli Ricks, a 21-year-old rookie from Alabama via LSU all made the 53-man roster, the first time since at least 1960 the Eagles will open a season with three undrafted cornerbacks who are all 25 or younger.

Jobe had a strong training camp and asserted early on that he was the top outside backup behind Darius Slay and James Bradberry. Goodrich benefited from Zech McPhearson’s season-ending Achilles injury, which opened up a roster spot, but he was very good in camp as well. And Ricks was one of the big stories of the summer, showing great improvement as the preseason progressed.

Last time the Eagles drafted a cornerback in the first three rounds was 2017, when they took Sidney Jones in the second round and Rasul Douglas in the third round. Both were on-and-off starters but gone by 2020. 

The Eagles are among only seven NFL teams that haven’t drafted a corner in the first three rounds of the last six drafts.

But Jobe, Goodrich and Ricks all significantly outplayed former 2nd-round pick Greedy Williams, a free agent who was released two weeks ago, as well as rookie 4^th-round pick Kelee Ringo.  

It’s rare to find one undrafted cornerback who can contribute. Before Jobe and Goodrich last year, there were guys like William Hampton in 2001, C.J. Smith in 2016 and Tre Sullivan in 2018 who made the team and had minor roles. Undrafted corners like Joselio Hanson, Cre’von LeBlanc and Craig James contributed but didn’t start their career here.

Every team is desperate for talented, young – and inexpensive – corners. How do the Eagles keep finding them?

"I don't know that there's a trick,” Howie Roseman said Tuesday after final cuts. "I think it's a great credit to our scouts for bringing those guys to our attention, and I think it's a great credit to those guys for how hard they work, and it's a great credit to our coaching staff for taking the time to develop these guys. 

"We talk all the time from the day that those guys come in our building, every day we're talking about developing, developing, developing, developing. I think that takes everyone in the building to join in on that, but obviously when they get on the field, the coaches do a great job of taking their skill set and utilizing them and having success and great credit to our defensive back coaches led by D.K. (McDonald).”

Undrafted players who can contribute are extra valuable because they’re cheap. All three of these corners have cap figures well under $1 million. When you’re already spending a fortune on your starting corners, inexpensive backups are huge in a salary cap era.

Jobe made the 53 last year and played 220 snaps on special teams. Goodrich spent the year on the practice squad. Both showed great improvement this summer.

In addition to Jobe, Goodrich and Ricks, the Eagles signed corner Isaiah Rodgers on Monday, and although he can’t play this year, he’s only 25 and could play into the future of the cornerback room. Also, McPhearson is only 25, and Ringo – a 4^th-round pick – just turned 21 in June.

But the big find this summer was Ricks, whose draft stock plummeted after he transferred from LSU to Alabama, struggled in his one year in Tuscaloosa and then declared for the draft after his junior year.

Ricks looked anything like an undrafted rookie in camp. Especially in the preseason games, where he showed up in a way he hadn’t in practice. His pick-6 off Ravens QB Anthony Brown in the first preseason game really put him on the map.

Because of his pedigree – he was once considered a likely 1^st- or 2^nd-round pick – the Eagles knew they would probably lose him if they waived him. They weren’t about to cut ties with Ringo, so they kept seven corners – the two starters, Avonte Maddox, the three undrafted guys and Ringo.

"Obviously you talk about pedigree (and) he was the No. 1 corner in the country coming out of high school and going to LSU,” Roseman said. "Then didn't have the last season that he wanted to (at Alabama), and he was a guy that we spent a lot of time on in the draft process.

"He came in with an opportunity, and I think what we saw is this is a long, instinctive player with good athleticism and ball skills. Those guys are hard to find. His work ethic, his care factor was really high.

"So that's a great success story for him when he had a lot of adversity here as a guy who really thought he would be a high pick going into the year. He came in with the right attitude, and we called him and told him he was on the team.

"At the same time, like we tell all these young players, there are no scholarships in the NFL for any of us, and so you have to keep working, have to keep improving, and we'll keep judging. We evaluate every day, and that's what we'll keep doing.”

https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/howie-roseman-talented-corners-josh-jobe-mario-goodrich-eli-ricks/534120/

Rod Hood UDFA 2003.

[UK_EaglesFan89]

There’s got to be some hope that these corners can work out. If they can that’s huge because Slay and Bradberry are getting older and if we don’t need to use to premium picks on the position that’s great.

[Godfather]

I really think Jobe is going to be good

[PoconoDon]

Let's see how well they play when it matters. I am hopeful.