On The Come-Up

The Eagles parted with its starting cornerback tandem from Super Bowl LVII, releasing veterans Darius Slay and James Bradberry days apart for 2024 cap relief.

The moves, while expected, leave the Eagles rich in upside but light on experience, supporting the words of Eagles personnel chief Howie Roseman, who again at the NFL Combine doubled down in his stance of leaning on younger players.

While there are layers to the team’s cornerback landscape, the 2024 group also has a pair of pending free agents in Isaiah Rodgers and Avonte Maddox.

A strong case can be made for retaining Rodgers, who accounted for 36 percent of the defensive snaps and gives the Eagles another starting option on the outside.

With two corners out, and two more headed for the open market next week, I took a deep dive into the cornerbacks currently under contract for 2025 and what’s ahead:

GETTY IMAGES: Second-year CBs Quinyon Mitchell (left) and Cooper DeJean will lead the Eagles revamped CB room.

Quinyon Mitchell

There’s little mystery as to what the future holds for Mitchell, who in 2025 inherits the top cornerback post in the wake of Darius Slay’s release.

Soon to be viewed as among the elite at his position, the 23-year-old is set to face off against the opposition’s primary receiving option weekly, a task that not only figures to see Mitchell thrive but also garner him recognition as one of the game’s premier all-around cornerbacks.

Armed with the knowledge imparted by Slay, Bradberry and his position coaches, the Toledo product is well on his way to attaining league-wide acclaim.

Cooper DeJean

Similar to Mitchell, DeJean is on a fast track to NFL stardom, courtesy of a banner rookie campaign that included a pick-six of Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LIX.

Already recognized as one of the league’s preeminent nickelbacks, DeJean offers the athleticism, football IQ and ball skills to thrive inside or outside, the latter of which could be on the table if Slay is officially out of the picture.

That the defense eventually transformed into the league’s top unit once DeJean was inserted into the nickel role was hardly coincidence. A full season of DeJean working in tandem with Mitchell, offering a long-term glimpse into the future of the franchise, should yield seismic results.

Kelee Ringo

There was a time during training camp where Ringo and Rodgers were trading days as the first-team cornerback opposite Slay. The job was ultimately pried away by Mitchell, though it illustrated the track Ringo was on at one point.

Younger than Mitchell at just 22, Ringo provides length, physicality and play strength, though his skill-set and build likely relegate him exclusively to the boundary.

While Ringo barely factored into the 2024 defensive plans, totaling just 112 snaps (11%), the Georgia product moonlighted as the team’s most impactful special teams contributor, logging a team-high 340 snaps. Ringo would also appear on the 2024 Pro Bowl ballot and even garner an All-Pro vote for his third phase acumen.

Ringo might have faded into the background in his first season under coordinator Vic Fangio, but his tools, pedigree and added seasoning should allow him to compete harder this offseason, when he could be a frontrunner to fill the void left by Slay’s departure.

GETTY IMAGES: CB Eli Ricks enters Year 3 in 2025, looking to push for a roster spot.

Eli Ricks

Stashed on the 53-man roster for the entirety of the 2024 season despite the frequent roster tinkering, Ricks is a young, cost-effective player at a premium position who gives the team depth at a position that not long ago was dangerously thin.

The 23-year-old Alabama product was only active for seven games last season, tallying 14 defensive snaps and another 51 on special teams after playing 301 and 212 as a rookie, respectively. At 6-foot-2, 188 pounds, Ricks has length and oozes competitiveness.

Ricks also has NFL experience working in his favor, potentially separating him from whichever Day 3 cornerback or incoming rookie free agent joins the fray. If you’re looking for an under-the-radar player to monitor this offseason who has a realistic shot at a roster push, Ricks – along with second-year safety Andre’ Sam – fits the bill.

Parry Nickerson (Reserve/Future)

Nickerson, 30, joined a deep Eagles secondary last summer following mandatory minicamp. His shining moment in camp occurred during the dog days of a steamy August practice, when he jumped a Tanner McKee pass and returned it for a 95-yard house call.

The seventh-year pro, who was issued one of the highly coveted main lockers in the Eagles’ locker room, appeared in 30 games (three starts) with five different teams. The vast majority of Nickerson’s reps last summer were at nickelback. The 5-foot-10, 182-pounder provides a veteran presence to a youth infused room.

A.J. Woods (Reserve/Future)

Stationed in an auxiliary locker near fellow defensive backs Andre Sam and Isaiah Rodgers, Woods blended in among a crowded locker room. A Pittsburgh product, Woods, along with wide receiver Danny Gray, signed to the Eagles practice squad days after the Eagles had bested the Green Bay Packers in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Woods (5-9, 186) originally signed with the Washington Commanders last spring as a rookie free agent. On the practice squad, Woods mostly shouldered the nickel role, often explaining throughout the season how much he was learning.

A sticky, twitched-up defender with plus instincts, Woods also brings inside-outside versatility to the table. He’ll have the benefit of an entire offseason working in his favor.

Tariq Castro-Fields (Reserve/Future)

A 2022 sixth-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers before stints with the Commanders and Panthers, Castro-Fields (6-1, 197) signed to the Eagles’ practice squad in late October. The Penn State product, another boundary corner, offers length, fluidity in transition and 4.3 speed.

Castro-Fields, who appeared in 12 games (one start) over his three seasons, faces an uphill battle to latch onto what’s expected to be a crowded house at the position, but he’ll have a head start over whoever is added.

– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.