Eagles Camp Countdown #4: Secondary

Source: Yardbarker.com

The signing of second round draft pick Nate Allen at least stabilizes the depth chart in the secondary, but question marks still abound at one of the weaker positions on the Eagles roster.  The Philadelphia secondary struggled last year, but with veteran cornerback Sheldon Brown being dealt in the offseason, it’s hard to imagine there will be improvement.

Ellis Hobbs is projected to start across from Asante Samuel at cornerback, but has never been held in the same regard as the recent string of Eagles starters at corner.  Troy Vincent, Bobby Taylor, Lito Sheppard, Sheldon Brown and Asante Samuel were all top notch cornerbacks.  If Hobbs wants to be in that category, he still has something to prove.

While Asante Samuel has gone to three Pro Bowls, he’s the type of corner who is certainly willing to gamble.  That means he’ll get more than his share of interceptions, but also give up some big plays by going for the pick.  That, combined with a downgrade from Brown to Hobbs, puts a lot of pressure on the safeties.

Quintin Mikell returns at strong safety and may be the most reliable player in the secondary.  He’ll need to be just that, as rookie defensive backs usually have a steep learning curve and Nate Allen is expected to start from day one.  While the South Florida product had an impressive collegiate career, even successful safeties usually take a year or two to develop.

If that’s the case with Allen, the Eagles will have some holes to cover in the secondary whether it be through changing up coverages or applying enough pressure with the front seven to make life easier in the secondary.

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