Could the Eagles switch Malcolm Jenkins and Eric Rowe on the depth chart?

Despite Malcolm Jenkins coming off a pro bowl season playing the safety position, the Philadelphia Eagles should strongly consider switching and Eric Rowe on the depth chart.

The Philadelphia Eagles now find themselves in an NFL that has evolved into a game centered around passing the football. Players like New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady have put up huge numbers during seasons where they have passed for more than 5,000 yards. In fact, the 5,000 yard milestone has been surpassed eight times, and seven of which have been in the last eight years. Granted this has happened before, when former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino putting up 5,084 yards in 1984, but there’s no doubt it’s becoming a more frequent occurrence.

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With more and more teams relying on their aerial attack, having a shutdown cornerback on the roster is more important than ever. Take a look at the Seattle Seahawks,for example, where they have Richard Sherman is on their roster. They’ve won at least ten games in each of the last four seasons. The reason they’ve been so successful is largely due to the fact that Sherman is typically able to limit the production of the opposing team’s best receivers.

The Eagles feature players such as Nolan Carroll and Leodis McKelvin, who can cover opposing receivers relatively well, but neither can take a receiver out of the game entirely. Looking at this roster leads one to believe the Eagles don’t currently have a shutdown cornerback on the team. Or do they?

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When Malcolm Jenkins was drafted by the Saints in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft, he entered the league as a cornerback and played well at that position. The Saints had plans on developing him into their shutdown corner, but fellow teammate Darren Sharper suffered a knee injury and Jenkins was forced to the free safety position. He excelled there, and he’s been there ever since. Jenkins also played cornerback last year. It was only on limited snaps, but trust and believe. He can play the cornerback position.

Then there’s Eric Rowe. He was drafted in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft where he was listed as a defensive back. He wasn’t listed as a cornerback or a safety. It wasn’t until there was a question as to which position he would play for the Eagles that he ultimately ended up being placed on the depth chart as a  cornerback, but Rowe has the ability to play safety as well. There just wasn’t a need there as the Eagles were already set at the safety position with Jenkins and Walter Thurmond III.

Both Jenkins and Rowe have played well in their current positions, so why should they switch positions? Well, as mentioned before, a shutdown cornerback is one of the most important positions on the football field, and the Eagles don’t have one. There’s no denying how much skill Jenkins possesses. He was named to his first Pro Bowl last year and is certainly a top 10 safety in the league. His ability to cover is part of the reason why .

So, if he’s played cornerback before, and he is consistently improving, why not try him out at cornerback? It may give the Eagles the shutdown cornerback they lack, and they would still have a solid safety next to Rodney McLeod, in Eric Rowe.

As for now, the Eagles are using Jenkins at safety and that’s fine, but giving some thought to this switch might be something the Eagles may want to consider.