3 positions the Philadelphia Eagles need to address this offseason

2. Cornerback

Yes that is correct, another year of stating how the Philadelphia Eagles need to address their cornerback situation. Granted, the team did make a splash in acquiring Darius Slay from the Detroit Lions in the offseason, and he has actually played pretty well; but aside from him, cornerback play has been bleak for this team. Again, it is not for a lack of trying.

The 2017 NFL Draft saw the Birds select Sidney Jones in the second round (43rd overall) and Rasul Douglas in the third round (99th overall), to attempt to fix their secondary. While both players showed glimpses of potential, neither are still wearing midnight green. For what it’s worth, each guy has moved on and played well this season for their new teams, especially Douglas who is absolutely thriving for the Carolina Panthers.

The next year in 2018, the Birds selected Avonte Maddox in the fourth round (125th overall), as another way to improve their secondary. The results this far have been mixed, as Maddox has flashed at times, while others he looks lost out there. To be fair to the 5-9 cornerback, it seems he has been set up for failure as the team continues to put him on the outside. His size and skill set would probably play much better on the inside in the slot. You could even argue the Eagles have potentially stunted the growth of the young corner, by playing him out of position.

While the addition of Slay was a big step forward for a secondary that for years has been one of the biggest issues on the roster, there is still work that needs to be done on the outside (and in the slot). The Philadelphia Eagles should think long and hard about selecting a cornerback, potentially on Day 1 of next year’s NFL Draft. It could go a long way to improving a defensive backfield that could use a serious overhaul.