Cornerback has become one of the most hotly contested position battles across the Philadelphia Eagles‘ roster, and one veteran is already standing above the fray.
Ahead of the Eagles’ first practice in full pads this summer, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio praised veteran Adoree’ Jackson in his bid to secure a starting job opposite ascending second-year standout Quinyon Mitchell, while simultaneously challenging the 29-year-old veteran.
“I think it’s time for him to show that,” Fangio told reporters Tuesday, when asked why he believes Philadelphia can be the place Jackson finally lives up to his potential. “In Tennessee, when it came time to re-sign him after his contract was up, they didn’t. The Giants, his contract was up, they didn’t. You know, it’s time to show who he is. Or who he isn’t.”
Fangio went on to laud Jackson’s strong performance during Monday’s practice, which is a bit of a contrast to the struggles young players like Kelee Ringo have gone through during the first week of camp.
For Fangio and the Eagles, determining the depth chart at cornerback may come down to a decision to play a young player with Ringo’s freakish athletic traits, or the veteran that general manager Howie Roseman targeted at the position to both add veteran leadership to a young room and also the experience that comes with eight NFL seasons under his belt.
Jackson, originally chosen by the Titans with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, arrives in Philadelphia with 404 career tackles, and four interceptions with one returned for a touchdown.
Last season, Jackson struggled a bit in coverage, surrendering a 93.8 passer rating and 11.4 yards per reception to opposing quarterbacks and wide receivers when targeting him, according to Pro Football Focus.
However, if Ringo’s struggles continue this summer, and DeJean slides to safety to upgrade the caliber of play at a paper-thin position, it might be time for Jackson to answer Fangio’s challenge in a big way this season.
Todd Kirkland | GettyPhiladelphia Eagles rookie Andrew Mukuba has been a standout this spring.
While Eagles first-round draft choice Jihaad Campbell has already been ascending up the depth chart and getting first-team reps in practice after being limited by a shoulder injury this spring, the news hasn’t been as promising for second-round safety Andrew Mukuba.
Mukuba, 22, missed his second consecutive practice on Tuesday due to a shoulder injury he suffered after colliding with wide receiver Danny Gray during a practice on Saturday, before Philadelphia put on the pads.
According to Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, just because Mukuba and other young players might not be on the field, there is little time to be wasted in terms of their development this summer, in other more creative ways.
“For us, we have to be very creative. Any player that misses practice reps, we have to be very creative in how we catch them up,” Sirianni told reporters. “When you’re in training camp, there’s a lot of time. Every minute of everyone’s day is accounted for, whether it’s rest and recovery for the players, or whether it’s watching tape in that time where they’re resting and recovering and we’re watching tape, so we have to be creative with how we do some different things. We will look at walkthroughs as a big opportunity, extra meetings, extra focus there, extra walkthroughs with whoever we need to do that with.
“It’s our job just to make sure that anybody who misses time, they recoup those reps somehow, some way. And when they can’t do it physically, it’s got to be mentally in the film room and in walkthrough.”
The Eagles chose Mukuba with the No. 64 overall pick, in the second round of this spring’s NFL Draft, with the expectation that he’d make an immediate push for a starting job alongside Reed Blankenship.
With Mukuba sidelined, this could be an opportunity for Fangio and the coaching staff to get an extended look at DeJean at safety or more first-team practice reps for Sydney Brown or Tristin McCollum in what promises to be a heated position battle for a starting job over the course of the summer.
Former Eagles Starter Retiring
GettyFormer Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Nate Herbig.
The Washington Commanders announced Tuesday that the franchise is adding offensive guard Nate Herbig to the reserve/retired list.
Herbig, 27, originally signed with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent back in 2019, and spent the first three seasons of his career in Philadelphia, where he made 17 starts.
Tuesday’s announcement comes on the heels of Herbig spending the 2024 season on injured reserve, after tearing his rotator cuff last fall.
The former Stanford standout appeared in 61 career games across a five season career with the Eagles, New York Jets, and Pittsburgh Steelers.
