Eagles secondary continues to take serious losses: ‘When it rains it pours on that position’
General manager Howie Roseman and his staff spent Monday scouring the rest of the league for external assistance at secondary, according to league sources.
There’s been a revolving door within the Eagles secondary, a unit that continues to be plagued by injuries.
During the team’s upset loss to the New York Jets on Sunday, it was safety Reed Blankenship (ribs), recently added cornerback Bradley Roby (shoulder), and rookie Eli Ricks (knee) who joined the wounded defensive back room.
Through the first six weeks of the season, defensive coordinator Sean Desai has not been afforded any continuity. Every Week 1 starting defensive back has missed at least one game because of injury and two starters — nickel cornerback Avonte Maddox (torn pectoral muscle) and safety Justin Evans (knee) — remain shelved on injured reserve. Top reserve Zech McPhearson (torn Achilles tendon) also is on IR.
General manager Howie Roseman and his staff spent Monday scouring the rest of the league for external assistance in the secondary, according to league sources.
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Coach Nick Sirianni alluded to as much when he said Roseman is “always working” to improve the team’s personnel.
“We’ve been banged up. … When it rains it pours on that position,” Sirianni said. “The injuries have gotten us there.”
Following the team’s 5-1 start to the season, the Eagles are about to face immense challenges over the next two months.
There’s hope around the organization that veteran cornerback Darius Slay (knee) could rejoin the fold as the defense prepares for a mighty challenge with the Miami Dolphins scheduled to visit Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday night. Additionally, rookie defensive back Sydney Brown (hamstring) could be on the mend following his two-game absence.
The Dolphins boast the league’s most potent attack, ranking first in total offense (498.7 yards per game), passing (316.8), and rushing (181.8).
The road doesn’t get any easier after this weekend, either. The Eagles won’t play an opponent with a losing record until Week 16, when they host the Giants (1-5) on Christmas Day. Their next eight games are against the Dolphins, Commanders, Cowboys (twice), Chiefs, Bills, 49ers, and Seahawks — a group of opponents that own a 30-14 combined record.
By the end of Sunday’s game, practice squad defensive back Mekhi Garner made his NFL debut as he replaced Blankenship at safety. Sirianni declined to delve into whether Blankenship’s rib injury is considered a long-term ailment, but that Garner was the team’s contingency plan should ring the bells for the front office.
“Obviously, we miss players like that, and we want to get them back as soon as we can,” Sirianni said. “So we’ll see. … I’m just going to always keep [injury timelines] close to the vest.”
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Following midseason injuries last year to defensive tackles Jordan Davis and Marlon Tuipulotu, Roseman bolstered the position by adding a pair of veterans in Ndamukong Suh and Linval Joseph. With the Eagles harboring Super Bowl aspirations and dealing with a litany of injuries, time will tell if Roseman repeats that script and adds to the roster via free agency or the trade market.
With 15 days remaining until the NFL’s trade deadline on Oct. 31, it’s evident there are lingering needs across the secondary.
Said Sirianni: “Hopefully we’re getting a couple guys back and [we] feel good about it.”