‘Are Those Shoulders Repaired?’
ITB: Eagles Defense Dependent on Health, New Roles
The Philadelphia Eagles defense is set for another strong year, but it is not without questions.
On the latest episode of “Inside The Birds,” Geoff Mosher and Adam Caplan discussed the biggest storylines on defense and special teams entering camp.
GETTY IMAGES: Eagles DT Jalen Carter enters year four with uncertainty about his health and contract.
Jalen Carter
Geoff Mosher: “They could announce a new contract for him at any moment, but we’re always going to wonder are those shoulders repaired?…He didn’t have a surgery, he had issues with them last year, they go back to college and you wonder how much of an impediment there will be for him going forward.”
Adam Caplan: “He’s going to make less than $4 million. I’d be stunned if he plays on that number without there being some sort of adjustment to make Drew Rosenhaus and Jalen Carter happy for at least one season. He’s coming off a down season.”
Riq Woolen
Mosher: “We talk about his discipline, the fact that he led the Seahawks in penalty yards last year and a lot of it was taunting…How do you work on that? Part of me wonders if (Nick) Sirianni will tell his receivers to try to get under his skin in practice and see how he reacts.”
Caplan: “They have nowhere else to go. They are so thin at corner, they don’t want to move Cooper DeJean back to corner.”
Cooper DeJean
Mosher: “Different angles, different responsibilities. The big-X factor is are the Eagles going to be more base defense because of what the opponents do this year, meaning he’ll play more safety than he did outside corner?”
Caplan: “How far can they take his learning and talent?…Most teams saw him at safety long-term.”
Jake Elliott
Mosher: “He can’t struggle in camp and the Eagles can’t feel good about it if he’s struggling in camp. He has already taken the paycut, there’s no competition right now, but if two weeks into camp they’re signing a kicker and saying it’s a competition, that’s when things are not good.”
Caplan: “Based on what the re-adjustment to his contract was, it’s a million-dollar paycut, but they fully guaranteed it all…Jake Elliott has to get himself together, and this is also on the coaches.”
– Benjamin Paul is a staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.
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