Malcolm Jenkins wants in on the Eagles nickel cornerback battle

The Philadelphia Eagles are in search of their next full-time starter in the slot.

The free agency market didn’t treat the Philadelphia Eagles too bad this season. While they acquired some stellar veterans, they also lost a few key players due to the business portion of the NFL. Fortunately, the Eagles kept most of their starters from their Super Bowl season, but they did lose a few significant names. The most notable might’ve been cornerback Patrick Robinson.

The newest New Orleans Saints defensive back had an incredible season in Philadelphia. Despite being on the chopping block in training camp, Robinson ended up being one of the best nickel cornerbacks in the game. Now, the Eagles are on the hunt for their next slot back, causing the cornerback position to be the most intriguing battle of the offseason.

Over the last month, the Eagles have tried out many guys in the nickel. Sidney Jones, De’Vante Bausby, D.J. Killings, and Avonte Maddox all got a fair share of reps. But one veteran on the roster is aiming to get in on the inside action. And it isn’t one of the two guys on the outside. It is safety Malcolm Jenkins.

Jenkins wants his shot:

Malcolm Jenkins has become one of the most versatile safety’s in the NFL over the past few seasons with the Eagles. Not only did he play his respective position well, but he has also performed at linebacker and the nickel cornerback position. And although he will always be a safety for the Eagles, he doesn’t want to lose his snaps in the slot to anybody in training camp. Therefore, Jenkins has made it clear that he wants in on the battle.

One position just isn’t enough for Jenkins anymore. The defensive leader plans to go above and beyond once again in search of a repeat for his tenth season in the NFL. As of right now, Jenkins services are needed at safety as the position lacks depth and experience. But if the Eagles do happen to sign on another veteran (cough cough, Corey Graham), then we might see Jenkins win some time.

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Considering that the current nickel candidates are mostly inexperienced, Jenkins will most likely get his way. And who knows, maybe if the Eagles do plan to move Jenkins around like they did last season, we could see them shift someone like Rasul Douglas back at safety to give him some sort of role on the defense. Right now, opportunities are endless for the Eagles secondary.