The Philadelphia Eagles have lately had good luck with "stealing" players from their rival New York Giants. Following their Super Bowl victory, made possible by the heroics of former Giant Saquon Barkley, the Birds decided to take another trip to the metaphorical cookie jar to bring in some of Saquon's former teammates.
Shortly after the new league year started, the Eagles signed former Giants linebacker (and Georgia Bulldog) Azeez Ojulari to fill the hole left by Josh Sweat's departure. While Ojulari looks to compete for the starting sub-linebacker position, the other newest Giant-turned-Eagle may not have a job come August.
Adoree' Jackson Is a Cut Candidate Just Months After Signing With the Eagles
The Eagles' other Giant-stealing signing was cornerback Adoree' Jackson. Jackson was a first-round pick for the Titans out of USC and is entering his ninth season in the NFL. He joined the Giants in 2021, where he accrued 204 tackles over his four-year tenure there, including 3 forced fumbles and 2 interceptions, and holding down a starting role for most of it. But now in Philadelphia, he’s buried on the depth chart.
The Adoree’ Jackson signing mirrors that of another former Giants cornerback brought in as a veteran stabilizer: James Bradberry. Bradberry had a strong 2022 but quickly declined, spending all of 2024 as a healthy scratch before being released. The Eagles learned then that short-term solutions in the secondary come with risks, especially when younger, cheaper options are waiting in the wings.
While the Adoree' Jackson signing parallels Bradberry's, there is one key difference: the Eagles don't have a defensive back problem anymore.
Back in 2022, they entered the offseason with Darius Slay, Zech McPhearson, Avonte Maddox, Anthony Harris, and K’Von Wallace, and Bradberry filled the role of a temporary stopgap nicely, but couldn't be relied on long-term. Now, the Eagles boast one of the league’s youngest and deepest defensive backfields, including Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Kelee Ringo, Reed Blankenship, Sydney Brown, and new rookie Andrew Mukuba. Adoree' Jackson isn't asked to be relied on, and is more or less a training camp body for now.
While a few years ago Jackson may have stood a chance on the roster, and would have even likely started for the Birds, that is no longer the case. Jackson is stuck in the depths of one of the youngest defenses in the league, and while he provides a veteran presence for the team, his $5 million price tag could be used better elsewhere.