Eagles Suddenly Look Deep At Cornerback
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — It's not August yet, and things could change drastically from now until September 11, when the Eagles open their 2016 season hosting the Cleveland Browns. But as it looks right now, the Eagles could be fairly solid at cornerback, with the signing of veteran free agent Leodis McKelvin on one side and Nolan Carroll on the other.
But it goes deeper than that—and that, for once, is a good thing the Eagles could use this season. Especially with the possibility of an anemic offense that possesses no deep threat.
Behind McKelvin and Carroll, seventh-round pick Jalen Mills out of LSU is showing in training camp he can be a good nickel back. JaCorey Shepherd has figured in the mix, coming off season-ending knee surgery which scrapped his rookie year, and Canadian Football League crossover Aaron Grymes has raised an eyebrow or two.
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And McKelvin and Carroll may have to do a little rumbling to secure their jobs.
"Even where it appears as though we're set, we're always looking for good players and we're always looking for guys that can execute the scheme," Eagles' defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said. "Guys that can make a play within the scheme; guys that can be trustworthy. We try not to go in with any prejudice toward anybody, whether it's an undrafted free agent or a 10-year vet.
"It's going to be fun to watch the corners compete. We have some guys that can cover. We have some guys that have a great opportunity here. If they'll get up and they'll challenge receivers, like I said before, if you can cover -- you can't cover many people if you don't want to challenge guys. That's God's honest truth. I could play the deep ball. I'd get my ass 50 yards deep and you couldn't get one over the top of me, but I couldn't cover anything else.
"There's a fine line in there. And the fine line is you have obviously have to play the deep ball in this league, but if that's the only thing you're worried about, you're not going to cover anything else.
"Just with the blend of veteran players: a guy like Nolan Carroll, who we talked about; [CB] Leodis McKelvin. Some young guys that have some opportunities: Jalen has done a nice job for a rookie so far and [CB] Ron Brooks is going to have an opportunity. Guys coming off injury like 'Shep,' [CB JaCorey Shepherd] who has been out here. I think it's going to be exciting to watch those guys. If they show the ability to cover and they show that they will challenge guys, then we'll find use for all of them."
As for Grymes, he looks like he's adjusted to well to playing on the smaller NFL field.
"You know, I think that from an adjustment period, sometimes it's a little bit easier for the guys. The field is a little bit smaller here," Schwartz said. "There is a little less movement. [CFL players] can run toward the line of scrimmage; more than one guy can be in motion; the field is longer and the field is wider. I wouldn't want to call it arena football, but they come down here and it's almost like going to arena football.
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"Aaron is a smart player. He's multi-dimensional. He's played outside; he's played nickel. Just because our numbers are low right now, he is playing a little safety, but that's just because he knows what to do. He has shown a good, confident attitude. You can't cover many guys if you're worried about getting beat and he's had that confidence to go up and challenge guys. I think that experience shows. The fact that he has played in a professional league and he's a little bit different than most of the other guys that are out here now because they are just out of college. He does have a little bit more confidence from his professional experience."
Last Thanksgiving, in the 45-14 route to the Detroit Lions, Carroll suffered a season-ending broken right ankle. It appears his progress has been sharp, Schwartz said.
"We took it slow with [Carroll]," Schwartz said. "Again, sort of falling into our same mantra, our game, we don't open until September, so we didn't need to rush him. He's a veteran player. He was excellent in the meetings. He was a good mentor for the younger guys. They are always picking his brain. He's a smart player.
"He had a really good year last year. We don't want to get ahead of ourselves with him or take him out of his comfort level. But he took a little bit of individual at the end of our mini-camp and OTAs and actually took a couple team snaps in there, a couple 7-on-7, although I can't remember which one it was. So he was able to get a little confidence and feel like, 'Hey, I can get up to speed.'
"This is important for him now. It's a good opportunity for him to come back before the full club gets here, just test it out and see how he's feeling. You don't want to judge too much. He might need a day here or there. It helps that he's a veteran player. It helps that he's experienced and I think that he's able to make a
