3 Free Agent Corners the Eagles Must Target to Replace Avonte Maddox
By Jovan Alford
The Philadelphia Eagles might be in the market for a new slot cornerback in free agency after they released Avonte Maddox on Wednesday.
Maddox had a salary cap hit of $9.6 million for the 2024 season, which is too high for a player who has only played in 13 regular season games over the last two years. However, there’s a chance that the veteran defensive back could return next season.
Philadelphia could look at Isaiah Rodgers Sr. as a potential in-house replacement if the Eagles and Maddox cannot come to terms on a new contract.
However, Eagles GM Howie Roseman will explore the free agent market, which is loaded with talented players in the secondary, to see if he can find a bonafide starter. Whomever the Eagles sign, it could boost their chances to win the division as they are (+135 on FanDuel Sportsbook) to win the NFC East for the second time in the last three seasons.
Below, we’ll discuss a few of our favorite free-agent corners that we believe the Eagles should target to replace Maddox.
1. Kenny Moore II
If you haven’t heard, the Eagles have this pipeline to Indianapolis. Philly hired Nick Sirianni as their head coach. Then, the Indianapolis Colts hired former Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen as their next head coach.
Not to mention, Steichen brought quarterback Gardner Minshew and running back Trey Sermon with him to Indianapolis. As you can see, there’s a budding trend here between these two teams.
Therefore, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Eagles reach out to Moore in free agency, who is 28 years old and completed a four-year, $33 million deal with the Colts. The veteran defensive back is one of the better slot cornerbacks in the league and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down.
This past season with Indianapolis, Moore had 93 combined tackles, eight tackles for loss, six pass deflections, three interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), two quarterback hits, and 1.5 sacks.
The 5-foot-9 defensive back gave up his fair share of touchdowns (5) but had a 73.8 completion percentage and 96.6 pass rating allowed when targeted. If the Eagles decided to sign Moore, it would likely be a 2-3 year deal as he’s proven to be a reliable cornerback.