Who’s available to the Eagles in the cornerback market (aside from Jalen Ramsey)? | Early Birds

Good morning, Eagles fans. The Birds are back in action Wednesday after a rest day. Last week’s Thursday night game has allowed Doug Pederson’s squad a few extra days rest. The Eagles had the entire weekend off, came back Monday for a light workout, and were given Tuesday off. The team needed it. They’ve been without multiple players for more than one game and have a new slate of injured after the win over the Packers.

The rest of the work week will be business as usual, however, as the Eagles prepare for the winless New York Jets.

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— Jeff McLane (earlybirds@inquirer.com)

Have you heard that Jalen Ramsey wants to be traded and that the Eagles, coincidentally, just so happen to need a cornerback? It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the Jaguars’ All-Pro corner is currently first and foremost on the minds of Eagles fans.

It is likely that Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has reached out and even made an offer to Jacksonville. But for whatever the reason, Ramsey is still a Jaguar, even though he missed last week’s game for dubious reasons. I can’t sit here and say with certainty why he has yet to be traded, but after talking to one source close to the Jaguars, it sounds like owner Shad Khan has little interest in parting with his best player.

But what if team president Tom Coughlin and head coach Doug Marrone don’t want Ramsey on the roster? Or what if Ramsey refuses to play for Coughlin and Marrone? Well, I’d imagine either scenario could propel Khan to move the 24-year-old. And if so, I’d be willing to part with a first-rounder and a second if I were Roseman.

But what if Khan wasn’t so attached to Coughlin or Marrone? It’s not like the Jaguars have done much over the last two seasons, although quarterback Gardner Minshew has injected some energy into the team over the last few weeks.

It would be pretty easy to make Ramsey happy next offseason. Just fire the president and coach and give him the huge contract he’s been pining for. It may sound silly to side with a player over the front office, but it has happened before.

If Ramsey is no longer an option, there are other cornerbacks the Eagles could trade for, even if they can survive recent injuries to Ronald Darby (hamstring), Sidney Jones (hamstring) and Avonte Maddox (concussion). Here are some possibilities:

Chris Harris, Broncos. He signed a one-year contract this offseason and could be just a rental for the remainder of his $11 million deal. But the Eagles are trying to win now and Harris, at his best, is a premium corner. He also knows what it takes to win a Super Bowl.

Adoree’ Jackson, Titans. The former first-round pick hasn’t quite lived up to expectations. Did you see him get beaten by former Eagles receiver Marken Michel in the preseason? He’s only 24 and has the tools. But he has only one year left on his rookie deal and Tennessee might be willing to unload him for a second-day pick if its season starts to go belly-up.

William Jackson, Bengals. Cincinnati is brutally bad. Jackson hasn’t been much better, particularly his tackling. But his poor play could just be the product of playing on a losing team. The Bengals picked up the fifth-year option on his contract, but it isn’t guaranteed.

Trumaine Johnson, Jets. Signed to a whopping five-year, $72.5 million contract in 2018, he has been a huge disappointment. New Jets GM Joe Douglas would love to unload Johnson, but it’s unlikely he’ll find anyone willing to take on that deal, as is. The Eagles will get an up-close look at him Sunday.

Quinton Dunbar, Redskins. Dunbar has been arguably Washington’s best player this season. That might not be saying much, but he’s a legit outside man-defending corner. It’s tough to see the Redskins making a trade in the division, even if they’re essentially already out of the NFC East race.

Patrick Peterson, Cardinals. He’s currently serving a six-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs. Arizona GM Steve Keim recently said that Peterson isn’t up for sale. But any player is available for the right price. What would it take to haul in maybe the best corner in the NFL?

Xavien Howard, Dolphins. He just signed a five-year, $75 million contract, so it’s hard to see Miami taking the cap hit after a trade. Even if he’s unhappy about the losing, he’s got millions of reasons to be content for the next few seasons. Howard, it should be noted, played for Eagles defensive assistant Matt Burke when he was the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator.

It’s not just you, Alex. But good observation. Rodney McLeod has arguably been the Eagles’ most consistent player on defense this season. Aside from maybe the missed tackle on the first touchdown the Eagles allowed this season, the safety has yet to make an egregious error. Playing the post is often a thankless job. You have to cover this large patch of land and aren’t often involved in plays, but when the ball is thrown your way, it can often be at your expense. And then all of sudden you’ve had a bad game.

McLeod has already made several strong plays in center field. And when the Eagles have been beaten deep, it hasn’t been on his watch. Some of that has to do with his new role. He’s been playing closer to the line more often this season, alongside Malcolm Jenkins in the Eagles’ nickel and dime packages. That has meant more of Andrew Sendejo in the post, which hasn’t been so great.

While McLeod hasn’t been perfect, what may be most impressive is that he’s not even a year removed from tearing his ACL. While so many players don’t look 100 percent like themselves in the same span, McLeod has been throwing his body around with the same ferocity.