The Eagles have used four different starting secondaries.
Eight defensive backs have started at least one game, four guys have played in the slot, four have played safety and nine have played significant snaps.
They lost Zech McPhearson before the season began. They lost Avonte Maddox most likely for the season in Week 2. They lost Reed Blankenship, Justin Evans, James Bradberry and Sydney Brown for a game each.
They’ve already played five undrafted defensive backs who are 25 or under, more than any other team in the league and already the most in franchise history in a single season (not counting replacement players during the 1987 strike season).
All this and we're only four games into the season.
The Eagles’ pass defense has been an adventure so far this year, and as defensive coordinator Sean Desai searches for the right combination, it’s clear the secondary is the biggest concern on one of the NFL’s two undefeated teams.
Through four games, the Eagles rank 27th in pass defense (261 yards per game), they’ve allowed the 3rd-most touchdown passes (9) and the 2nd-most passing first downs and they have just two interceptions.
They’re the first team in NFL history to go 4-0 while allowing nine passing touchdowns and 67 percent completion percentage in those first four games.
This isn’t all a secondary problem.
The linebackers have played well, but coverage isn’t their strength. And the edge rushers have underachieved, with just 3 ½ sacks in four games. And it shouldn’t be shocking that the Eagles have had some growing pains in pass defense considering there’s only one 2022 starter who’s currently starting in the same position. And there’s a new defensive coordinator and a new secondary coach.
But it’s clear the Eagles’ secondary needs to play better if the Eagles are going to be the type of team that challenges for a championship.
Reed Blankenship has been the one constant at safety, and he’s been solid. Justin Evans was the other starter for three weeks and that was a mixed bag, and with both Evans and rookie Sydney Brown out this past Sunday, Terrell Edmunds started across from Blankenship, and that did not go well. Opposing QBs have a 118.6 passer rating this year throwing at Evans and 109.4 throwing at Edmunds.
Of 68 safeties who’ve played at least 100 snaps, Edmunds and Evans rank 51st and 56th in defensive passer rating.
Two former Eagles are in the top five on that list – Rudy Ford is No. 1 (28.3) and Rodney McLeod is No. 5 (39.6).
Brown could be in the mix at safety when he comes back, but we don’t know when that will be – and the Eagles might need him in the slot more than they need him at safety.
When training camp began, Avonte Maddox was the slot and Zech McPhearson the backup, but McPhearson suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the preseason and Maddox suffered what is likely a season-ending pec injury in the win over the Vikings. Mario Goodrich initially replaced Maddox but had a 152.7 passer rating against him (4th-worst of 126 corners) and hasn’t played defense since.
Brown is an option in the slot, but he’s a rookie and has played only 16 career defensive snaps. Desperate to settle the slot down, the Eagles moved James Bradberry inside, and he’s been OK, but he’s a 2nd-team all-pro outside corner – he’s better outside than inside. And with Bradberry inside, undrafted Josh Jobe has been starting outside. Hasn’t been a disaster, but it’s not ideal.
On Tuesday, the Eagles added one-time 1st-round pick Bradley Roby to the practice squad, and he has a history in the slot, but who knows if a 31-year-old who’s been out of the league since final cuts and had the 10th-worst Pro Football Focus grade among 126 corners who played at least 100 snaps last year is really the answer.
Meanwhile, Darius Slay – the only defensive back to start all four games – has been up and down so far. QBs have a 100.8 passer rating against Slay, but considering he’s been covering guys like Justin Jefferson, Mike Evans and Terry McLaurin, that’s not awful. But it’s still much higher than the last two years (74.4, 83.9).
Talk about moving pieces. There are a ton of them.
With everybody healthy, the strongest secondary lineup considering everyone currently on the 53 would probably be Bradberry and Slay at outside corner, Blankenship and Evans at safety and Brown in the slot.
But is that good enough? Brown is a promising young prospect and played well in his brief cameo in Tampa. But he’s played 11 career snaps in the slot.
The schedule is daunting.
The Eagles face the Rams and the No. 2 passing offense in the NFL on Sunday in Los Angeles, the Dolphins and their top-ranked offense later this month at the Linc, and then - in a row - the Cowboys, Chiefs, Bills and 49ers – ranked 14th, 6th, 7th and 9th in passing offense.
Can the Eagles survive against those high-octane offenses with the secondary as it's currently structured?
The trade deadline is Oct. 31, and we know Howie Roseman will be looking. Roseman acquired Golden Tate for a 3rd-round pick in 2018, Genard Avery for a 4th-round pick in 2019 and Robert Quinn for a 4th-round pick last year, so he loves making trade-deadline moves. And the Eagles have no shortage of picks in next year’s draft for him to move.
Maybe Roby will turn out to be the answer, but the likelihood is that if the Eagles want a championship-caliber defense they’ll likely have to give up assets to acquire an experienced slot corner and quite possibly a veteran safety so they can get off the secondary merry-go-round they’ve been on since the start of camp.
