Philadelphia Eagles trade deadline primer: Secondary edition
By Pete Long
The Philadelphia Eagles sit in a tie for second place in the NFC East, but who could the team trade for in the secondary to jump atop the division for good?
Offense wins games, defense wins championships. We have all heard the borderline cringe-worthy cliché thousands of times, but it stands true. In last year’s Super Bowl, despite a defensive presence that mirrored my attendance in classes the following week, the Philadelphia Eagles‘ defense came through when it was needed the most, leaving Tom Brady wondering where it all went wrong as he pouted on the Minneapolis turf.
The ferocious front four’s run defense was the best in the league and shut down every back that entered their territory. Though the secondary wasn’t stellar, they proved to be vital in shutting down the Falcons in the divisional round and shifting the momentum of the entire season with Patrick Robinson’s pick-six that brought down the house at the Linc in the NFC Championship game.
Fletcher Cox and Derek Barnett came out explosive this season. Michael Bennett has shown flashes of his Seahawks-era greatness in the past few weeks and the rest of the defensive line is holding down the rushing attack. The problem is, teams are prepared for it.
A team has yet to attempt more than 25 rushes in a game against the Birds and the plan is simple: attack the secondary early and often. Boasting the ninth worst pass defense in the league this season, the Eagles secondary has been toasted for over 1,600 yards through the air, 273 yards per game and eight touchdowns.
They’ve been burnt long through the air several times, with eight plays of 30 or more yards and two touchdowns in that treacherous game in Tampa Bay against the Buccaneers.
Nobody has played particularly well, but Jalen Mills has certainly stood out for his poor play. Mills is burnt on double moves more often than not, lacks the necessary speed to recover from said blunders and constantly contacting receivers with his off-hand begging to be called for pass interference.
The troubles started at the beginning of the season when Daryl Worley, the cornerback acquired in a trade for wide receiver Torrey Smith, was released following a gun-related arrest in Philadelphia. The corner-related issues continued into the season and followed the team onto the field.
With the loss of Rodney McLeod at safety along with Sidney Jones on a week-to-week basis, a possible move in the secondary could be a major boost to a struggling unit. The signing of Dexter McDougle simply won’t be enough to fill the gaping hole at corner, so I present my secondary saviors.