July 14, 2024
Over the last few weeks (basically whenever there wasn't other news to cover), we've been taking a look at every player on the Philadelphia Eagles' roster, and how they fit with the team heading into training camp. Today we'll continue on with the slot cornerbacks.
Previous training camp previews
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end
Offensive tackle | Guard | Center
EDGE | Interior DL | Linebacker | Outside CB
In past years, we haven't separated the outside corners and the slot corners, but slot corner is a position where the Eagles have been thin of late, and it's bitten them. Also, it's one fewer article idea I have to come up with before the start of camp this way 😏. The depth chart:
| 1a/1b | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Avonte Maddox / Cooper DeJean | Zech McPhearson | Tyler Hall | Mario Goodrich |
Over the last few seasons, 2023 excluded, Maddox has been one of the better slot corners in the NFL. Unfortunately, he has not been able to stay on the field.
He missed 14 games in 2023 with a torn pectoral muscle, and he missed games at three different junctures during the season in 2022. He also missed three games in 2018, four games in 2019, and six games in 2020. Obviously, he has significant durability issues.
In 2023, the Eagles tried to replace Maddox with a half dozen different players — James Bradberry, Mario Goodrich, Bradley Roby, Josiah Scott, Sydney Brown, and Eli Ricks. All of those guys even started games in the slot, with the exception of Ricks. A look at the Eagles' slot corner starters, by game:
• Week 1, Patriots: Avonte Maddox
• Week 2, Vikings: Avonte Maddox
• Week 3, Buccaneers: James Bradberry
• Week 4, Commanders: James Bradberry
• Week 5, Rams: Mario Goodrich
• Week 6, Jets: Bradley Roby
• Week 7, Dolphins: Josiah Scott
• Week 8, Commanders: Sydney Brown
• Week 9, Cowboys: Sydney Brown
• Week 11, Chiefs: Bradley Roby
• Week 12, Bills: Bradley Roby
• Week 13, 49ers: Bradley Roby
• Week 14, Cowboys: Bradley Roby
• Week 15, Seahawks: Sydney Brown
• Week 16, Giants: Sydney Brown
• Week 17, Cardinals: Avonte Maddox
• Week 18, Giants: Avonte Maddox
• Wildcard, Buccaneers: Avonte Maddox
Slot corners have to communicate with outside corners, safeties, and linebackers, so when you're playing six different guys in there it's difficult to achieve cohesiveness. It's a position where having a durable player is particularly important, especially if you don't have a capable backup.
Those teams got some big individual performances from receivers who often worked out of the slot:
• Terry McLaurin, Commanders: 8 catches, 86 yards
• Cooper Kupp, Rams: 8 catches, 118 yards
• Garrett Wilson, Jets: 8 catches, 90 yards
• Tyreek Hill, Dolphins: 11 catches, 88 yards, 1 TD (one wide-open TD, dropped)
• Terry McLaurin, Commanders: 5 catches, 63 yards, 1 TD
• CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys: 11 catches, 191 yards
• Stefon Diggs, Bills: 6 catches, 74 yards, 1 TD
• Deebo Samuel, 49ers: 4 catches, 116 yards, 2 TDs
• CeeDee Lamb: 6 catches, 71 yards, 1 TD
(Those guys didn't necessarily work out of the slot exclusively, but they all did at least some notable damage from the slot.)
This offseason, the Eagles made the obvious decision to release Maddox, which saved them $6,850,000. He got some sniffs from other teams around the league, but returned to the Eagles on a one-year deal worth $2 million.
In spring practices, Maddox got reps at safety in addition to slot corner.
The Eagles traded up in the second round of the 2024 draft for DeJean, a player who they had graded as a first-round talent. He is a unique, versatile player who played outside corner, slot corner, safety, and even some linebacker in college at Iowa. He was also arguably the best punt returner in college football, and an outstanding gunner on the punt coverage team. He is a great athlete with good size who produced big plays throughout college.
In 2022, DeJean had 75 tackles, 5 INTs (3 pick-sixes), and 8 pass breakups. Here are all five of those picks:
In 10 games in 2023 before his season was cut short due to injury, he had 41 tackles, 2 INTs, and 2 punt return TDs (one didn't count).
Because of his versatility, DeJean's role is the most interesting among all the Eagles' rookie draft picks. The Eagles drafted DeJean because they like what he did throughout his college career at cornerback, both on the outside and in the slot. However, the starting outside corner spots are likely to be occupied by Darius Slay and one of Quinyon Mitchell, Isaiah Rodgers, or Kelee Ringo. DeJean very likely won't start on the outside, barring injury.
At safety, the Eagles have the following trio:
Gardner-Johnson wants to play safety. Yes, he can play in the slot too, but he will almost certainly be starting at safety because he is very clearly the best safety on the team. There's no need to overthink that.
Some fans soured on Blankenship down the stretch last season, when he (and literally everyone else on defense) had some rough moments. But the team still likes him. He is highly likely to start at the other safety spot.
And then there's Brown, who is a wild card because his availability for the start of the season is in question. But certainly, he is in the team's long-term plans.
And, again, Maddox played some safety during the spring. It feels unlikely that DeJean will start at safety, barring injury.
And finally, there's the slot. Even if Maddox plays well in camp, I imagine the Eagles will give DeJean a legitimate opportunity to win that starting job, knowing that Maddox is likely to eventually miss time.
The slot is DeJean's best chance of cracking the starting lineup. In training camp, I imagine the Eagles will get him work all over the secondary, perhaps even occasionally at safety in anticipation of needing players for depth, even though... again... they drafted him because they like him as a corner.
McPhearson's outlook heading into 2023 looked similar to what it looked like in 2021 and 2022. In 2021, he was the first outside cornerback off the bench, but Slay and Steven Nelson started every game (the meaningless Week 18 game vs. Dallas aside), and we only got some clues as to what McPhearson might look like in the regular defense.
In 2022, once again, the Eagles' starting cornerbacks — this time Slay and James Bradberry — started every game. The only game in which McPhearson got meaningful playing time in a non-blowout was against the Jaguars Week 4 after Slay got hurt in the first quarter.
In 2023 training camp, the Eagles started giving McPhearson some looks in the slot in addition to the outside, and there would have been ample opportunities for him to play... but... he tore an Achilles during the preseason. D'oh! Timing has been McPhearson's worst enemy his first three years in the NFL.
McPhearson is in the final year of his rookie contract, and with more robust depth in the secondary, he's probably a bubble player on the outside looking in.
The Falcons signed Hall as an undrafted rookie out of Wyoming in 2020. He appeared in 9 games as a rookie, making 6 tackles. In 2021, he played for the Rams, where he appeared in 4 games (no stats), but with no snaps in the regular defense. In 2022 and 2023, Hall played for the Raiders. He had 20 tackles and 4 pass breakups in 2022, and 20 tackles in 2023. It's perhaps also noteworthy that he averaged 31.7 yards per kick return in college with a pair of return TDs (shown here), but he has not yet been used as a returner in the NFL.
Hall measured in at 5'8, 183 in 2020 at Wyoming's pro day, where he ran a 4.41 40. The Raiders listed him last season at 5'10, 190. Hall has played almost exclusively in the slot during his four NFL seasons, and he played there during spring practices. He'll have a chance to make the team out of training camp, but is certainly not guaranteed a roster spot.
Goodrich made the initial 53-man roster last year after a strong training camp. When the Eagles needed him to step into the slot during regular season games, he wasn't ready. In three games that he got meaningful snaps, Goodrich allowed 11 receptions on 11 targets for 109 yards and 2 TDs, per PFF. He was waived thereafter and brought back to the practice squad.
Random Eagles notes: The defense will be fast
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