Inside The Birds: Search For CB2 Continues

Are the Eagles really prepared to have Avonte Maddox start opposite Darius Slay at cornerback again?

As we head toward training camp, questions persist about the state of the Eagles’ secondary, with emphasis on the outside corner spot opposite Slay and the top backup safety if Rodney McLeod isn’t ready to return by the season opener from last year’s ACL injury.

On the latest Inside The Birds, Adam Caplan and Geoff Mosher size up the defensive backfield and also examine some recent transactions.

Nick Mullens

Caplan: “This is a smart move. If you’re going to use a camp arm, this is the perfect guy. You don’t find third-string quarterbacks like this. Now, I know he didn’t play well against the Eagles … but the guy is a good story. You’re not going to find anyone better as a third-stringer.”

No. 2 CB

Caplan: The Eagles could have 50 corners; they only have one outside corner right now who can start. We were told Josiah Scott would start initially, in terms of his working, on the outside first. They know he can play the slot, but they want to see if he can contend on the outside first. They need somebody to step up and seize the spot opposite [Darius] Slay, other than [Zech] McPhearson. We know they’re going to add a veteran at point, I couldn’t tell you when. Sort of like an August trade or after the initial 53 cutdown. They’re in dire straits here. This is right now, by far, their No. 1 need. Nothing even comes close. But they’re not going to panic. They’ll get somebody at some point, but right now, on paper, it’s a disaster.” .

Mosher: “You have to argue this, Adam, that even an improved Avonte Maddox has to show he’s improved enough to play the slot well. Because when he’s had to play inside, when he’s been put in there more recently, he hasn’t even performed that great. He hasn’t consistently performed well since his rookie year, and that’s got to change for him because he has competition chasing him.”

Rodney McLeod

Caplan: “I expect him to stay on active PUP through training camp. The Eagles haven’t told me this, but this is the way things work. You have to start on PUP first, because if you don’t you can’t go back on it. Let’s say he practiced, like mid-August is his first day of practice, and they want to put him back [on PUP]. You can’t do that. You have to do that at the start of training camp. They wont know if he’s gonna be ready for the regular season until the end of August, so we’ll see. I can tell you, my understanding is K’von Wallace started to come on [in OTAs]. We don’t know what that means yet because they didn’t do any team work. Just from a mental standpoint, not making errors, as it was explained to me. This is good. It obviously wouldn’t be bad for them to sign a veteran safety, but it doesn’t seem to be on their radar.”

– Geoff Mosher (@geoffmoshernfl) is co-host of the “Inside the Birds” podcast and staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.

Listen to the latest “Inside The Birds” podcast from Geoff Mosher and Adam Caplan here: