Through the first preseason game, the Philadelphia Eagles' backfield has looked average, at best. Behind young stars Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and Reed Blankenship, the Philadelphia Eagles' secondary has seemed to become a shell of its former self. The reigning Super Bowl Champions went into the offseason knowing that roster turnover was inevitable due to expiring contracts and aging players.
Among the multiple starters on the Eagles' defense who will be suiting up in new colors this season are veteran cornerbacks Darius Slay and Isaiah Rodgers.
Slay, who is now the oldest starting cornerback in the league at 34 years old, was released by the Eagles to preserve cap space. While he played at a high level this past season, it is likely the Birds wanted to avoid another James Bradberry-like decline and decided it would be better to release Slay a year too early than wait and be a year too late.
Isaiah Rodgers, who started sparingly for the team before getting overtaken by DeJean, signed with a 2-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings for $15 million. While that seems like a contract the Eagles could match, Rodgers hadn't flashed in Philly's defense like they hoped. When they signed him in the 2023 offseason, they imagined the 27-year-old could play alongside and eventually fill in for Slay, given his starting experience on the Indianapolis Colts.
This plan never came through, and despite a need at cornerback, the Eagles let Rodgers go in free agency.
The Eagles likely made these decisions because they trusted the young players they had waiting in the wings to step up, including assumed starters Kelee Ringo and Sydney Brown. Neither player has blown anyone away in training camp, and both of their positions seem to be an open competition.
The Birds signed cornerback Adoree Jackson in the offseason, who also hasn't run away with the job, and drafted safety Andrew Mukuba in the 2nd round of the 2025 Draft, who is only now seeing reps due to a shoulder injury he suffered at Texas.
Most recently, the Eagles traded for Las Vegas Raiders' cornerback Jakorian Bennett, who started in Vegas and looks to prove himself in Philly. There are still key pieces available in free agency that the team could take a flyer on if Vic Fangio and the defensive coaching staff are still unimpressed with these players after the Eagles' second preseason game.
1. Rasul Douglas
Rasul Douglas was drafted by the Eagles in the third round of the 2017 Draft. Through his three years with the team, Douglas had shown flashes of a starting cornerback, but never reached the heights that the Birds hoped he would.
He then joined the Carolina Panthers, and has since been on the Green Bay Packers and the Buffalo Bills. In Green Bay and Buffalo, Douglas had begun a mid-career surge, having three years with 4+ interceptions between the two teams. Now, Douglas finds himself a free agent, and the Eagles have a great opportunity to sign someone familiar with the city who was part of the team's Super Bowl LII roster.
2. Justin Simmons
When former Broncos safety Justin Simmons hit the open market back in the 2024 offseason, it was expected that he would receive a massive contract from a contender looking for a solid veteran piece. That never ended up happening, and as the offseason went on, Simmons quietly signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons that August.
While in Atlanta, Simmons had a solid year, notching two interceptions and two tackles for loss, but wasn't re-signed by the Falcons when the 2025 offseason rolled around. This August, Simmons is again in free agency and could look to sign a similar deal with a willing team.
Given that Simmons is 31 years old, the Eagles would likely follow the Falcons' lead and only offer him a one-year deal. However, if the Eagles are in need of a veteran in the backfield who could take on a Brandon Graham-type role -- not an every-game starter but a solid rotational piece who can share his wisdom with the younger guys in the backfield -- Simmons would be a perfect fit.
3. Asante Samuel Jr.
Entering the 2025 offseason, Asante Samuel Jr. was expected to be within the highest tier of players and get paid handsomely. Samuel is only 25 years old and had solid production with the Los Angeles Chargers, having two interceptions and double-digit pass breakups for three out of his four years with the team. However, he still remains a free agent, largely due to injury concerns. Samuel only played four games in 2024 and underwent neck surgery in April due to "stinger symptoms," which means the nerves in his neck and shoulder were greatly affected by his injury.
Samuel has said he did not plan on signing with a team until he is healthy enough. Now, four months removed from the initial surgery, he may begin to shop himself around to cornerback-needy NFL teams, and the Eagles would be a perfect fit for the young star. By signing in Philadelphia, Samuel nearly guarantees himself a starting role on the reigning champions' roster and can learn under Fangio and the Eagles' talented defensive staff to improve his game even further.
It's also important to note that the Eagles are no strangers to taking a chance on a player with injury concerns. They just drafted Jihaad Campbell and Andrew Mukuba in the 2025 Draft, both of whom fell to them due to lingering injuries, and they could look to do the same with Samuel.