While the Eagles remain undefeated this season, their campaign has not been without flaws. This year, they rank 25th in the league in pass yards allowed, a stat many Eagles fans wouldn’t expect at the beginning of the year. While it has not impacted them in the form of a loss yet, they will need to clean that up if they hope to get back to the championship game. There is still tons of hope for correction and development in the Eagles secondary, but they will need to commit to some of those options sooner rather than later. Going against teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Fransisco 49ers later in the year, those blemishes will surely be exposed if some corrections are not put into motion. Here are three ways the Eagles can improve their secondary this year.
[metabet_core_odds_board query=”535980″ site_id=”lastwordonsports”]
3 Remedies for the Eagles Secondary
Trust In Bradley Roby in the Slot
Bradley Roby was signed by the Eagles a week ago and already has managed to make an impact. With Avonte Maddox injured, the slot cornerback position has been a real weakness for this team, especially in the last few weeks. Mario Goodrich III was supposed to be the next man up for the Eagles secondary, but has struggled in both man and zone coverage, and hasn’t offered much in the run game either.
Roby against the Rams was awesome in the slot, he’s a veteran who understands the position with some real quickness that serves the Eagles secondary well. He had a very good showing in coverage when on the field, against a team in the Los Angeles Rams who love to utilize their slot receivers. It’s a no-brainer at this point, Roby with championship experience, should be the starting slot corner going forward and will be a good improvement over what they have there right now.
Trade for a Star Safety
Another point of struggle with the Eagles secondary has been the safety position opposite Reed Blankenship. Some games have seen a lot of Terell Edmunds, while the last game against the Rams saw Justin Evans taking most of the snaps. Neither have been real impact players and both have been exposed at times in coverage. There have been rumors dating back to the summer about the Eagles secondary adding a star at the safety position. Much of the rumors back then were around Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker, but another player that may be worth looking at is Denver Broncos Safety Justin Simmons.
Both players would be a welcome addition to the Eagles and can take the safety unit from a weakness to a potential strength. While it may take some capital to acquire them, the Eagles secondary woes could also just disappear with one of their presences on the field. They both offer better coverage and playmaking skills than Evans and Edmunds as well as bring great run-defending and instincts to make a play. It will be hard to pry one of them away from their respective teams or the rest of the league, but it would surely be worthwhile.
Eagles Secondary is Better in Man Coverage So Far
The Eagles played a lot more man coverage last week against the Rams than they did in the first few games of the season. While there were still some big plays given up against a good Rams offense, there was also a good dose of great coverage and stumping the Rams. Big plays will always be given up here and there when you primarily play man coverage, but Darius Slay and James Bradberry are more than good enough to most receivers and make sure they don’t win the game outside of the hash marks.
Leaning into more man coverage will make the defense simpler for the opposing offense and could lead to some disadvantageous situations. There were some complications where Cooper Kupp was in single coverage in the slot against a safety or linebacker, which is a hard ask for any linebacker or safety in the league. However, the Eagles should still look to play man, to play to their strengths. If the secondary can jam and hold the receivers up at the line of scrimmage, it only gives more time for the Eagles defensive line to wreak havoc in the backfield. Additionally, the Eagles shouldn’t be scared to throw double teams or roll the zone coverage to the star receiver at times, as it could make things even harder for the opposing offenses to get the ball away before the defensive line gets home.
At the end of the day, it’s still early in the season and there’s plenty of time for the Eagles secondary to improve. However, this is an issue that should be monitored throughout the season, and if it’s still an issue going into the playoffs, it could spell some trouble. Especially, against some of the top passing teams in the league.
Universal Responsible Gambling Disclaimer:
Ages 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
Main Photo: Gary A. Vasquez – USA Today Sports
