Philadelphia Eagles: Losing Cre’von LeBlanc long-term would be a disaster
If Cre’von LeBlanc’s training camp leg injury turns out to be serious, it would be a disaster for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Last season, Cre’von LeBlanc was the best postseason cornerback in the NFL.
While the mid-season waiver pickup may not be a household name, few players have had such an impact halfway through the season for the Philadelphia Eagles than LeBlanc regardless of position.
And despite having four other cornerbacks on the roster with starting experience under the age of 26, it looked like the nickel corner position was LeBlanc’s job to lose going into training camp.
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But in a cruel twist of fate, that may no longer be the case.
When news broke that LeBlanc went down on the first Thursday of training camp with a leg injury, the diagnosis seemed fairly optimistic, but after being spotted riding on a leg cart (as per NBC Sports Philadelphia), things may be a lot more serious than we initially speculated.
Factor in the shall we say unconventional decision to sign ex-Dallas Cowboys/Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Orlando Scandrick – an almost exclusive slot corner over his first decade in the league – and things aren’t looking too good for Leblanc’s immediate future in Philadelphia.
And that would be a real shame because no player in recent memory has more perfectly personified the Philly ethos more than LeBlanc.
After going undrafted out of Florida Atlantic University in 2016, LeBlanc picked up jerseys from the New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, and Detroit Lions, before ultimately making his way to Philadelphia after another rash of injuries hamstrung Jim Schwartz‘s secondary midway through the 2018 season.
Though the then-24-year-old journeyman initially struggled in his first game against the Cowboys, he quickly learned from his mistakes and quietly finished out the season as one of the strong points on the Eagles’ defense.
From there, LeBlanc shined in the postseason, being named the top cornerback in the postseason according to Pro Football Focus – cornerback, not just slot cornerback.
After allowing Patrick Robinson, the first cornerback to really dominate on the inside for the Eagles since Brandon Boykin all the way back in 2014 to walk in free agency, LeBlanc surprisingly gave Philly some continuity in the slot and objectively outplayed Sidney Jones in the role despite having a very different pedigree.
Next. Sidney Jones has a platform to prove himself. dark
Will his injury ultimately cost him the season? Could LeBlanc start the season off on injured reserve and make a return in November? Is this all overblown and he’ll be ready to play come Week 1? Only time will tell, but after forcefully inserting himself into the Philadelphia Eagles’ cornerback conversation based on hard work alone, it’s a real shame Cre’von LeBlanc may not be a part of the team’s secondary in 2019.