Eagles Sign Bradley Roby — Is it Enough to Fix Secondary Woes?
![The Philadelphia Eagles have signed Bradley Roby to a contract. The Philadelphia Eagles have signed Bradley Roby to a contract.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2667,h_1500,x_0,y_73/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/190/01hbvy26hqjc6s8wcqwy.jpg)
The Philadelphia Eagles are 4-0, but it hasn't been a pretty 4-0, and the team is not about to sit back and think they can coast.
That was made abundantly clear when Philly went out and signed veteran cornerback Bradley Roby on Wednesday, aiming to address one of the biggest issues the team has faced so far. But is that signing enough?
Let’s get it 🦅🖤💚🤍 https://t.co/noWdbFgOeb
— Bradley Roby (@BradRoby_1) October 3, 2023
Eagles News: Bradley Roby Signed
The Eagles brought Bradley Roby in for a workout on Wednesday, and shortly after that workout it was announced that the two sides had agreed to a contract to make Roby an Eagle.
It was no secret that Philly was going to be in the cornerback market this week. None of the strategies to replace Avonte Maddox over the last two weeks worked very well, and something needed to be done.
Roby was the best free agent corner available on the market, and has plenty of experience playing in the slot, which made him the perfect target to replace Maddox.
Of course, being the best corner on the market meant that plenty of teams were interested in Roby's services, but the 31-year-old was sitting back and waiting for the right situation. And the Eagles, for most free agents, are exactly "the right situation." Roby wants to make an impact for a Super Bowl contender, and what better way to do that than by starting in the slot for Philly?
Roby most recently spent a two-year stint with the New Orleans Saints, and before that he played 20 games for the Houston Texans and 79 for the Denver Broncos. He has 11 career interceptions plus 85 pass breakups, 8 forced fumbles and 370 total tackles.
But the big question that still hovers over this move is whether or not Roby is enough to fix the issues the Eagles have had defensively.
Yes, this will be a big upgrade from having James Bradberry out of position in the slot with Josh Jobe starting on the outside. I'm not doubting that. But Roby is coming off a pretty terrible 2022 season, having earned a brutal coverage grade of 49.6 from Pro Football Focus.
He had graded out quite well in each of the three previous seasons though, so the hope is that it was a one-year blip, and not a sign that he was starting to go downhill in his ninth NFL season.
Remember, though, that the Eagles were fully healthy with Bradberry in his proper position and Maddox in the slot when we gave up 3 touchdowns and 300 yards to Mac Jones in Week 1.
Sean Desai has yet to prove that he can keep this unit playing at the level they were in 2022, and if he doesn't turn things around with Roby in the slot then he could find himself on the hot seat.
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