Philadelphia Eagles: Did we forget about Rasul Douglas?
After an impressive stretch of games, the Philadelphia Eagles hardly utilized rookie cornerback Rasul Douglas.
Last season was an absolute roller coaster ride for the Philadelphia Eagles. The team was plagued with injuries as the issues kept piling on. It started as early as week one against the Washington Redskins. That’s when Eagles supposed star cornerback Ronald Darby went down with a dislocated ankle that would sideline him until after the bye week. At that time, the rookie Rasul Douglas wasn’t even suited up and active.
The following week against the Kansas City Chiefs became an early test for Douglas. He had shown some promise in the offseason, but it was clear that the Eagles did not want to throw him into the fire that early on. But with the circumstances the Eagles were under, they had no choice but to put their third-round draft pick to the test. Fortunately, he showed some promise.
When the Eagles drafted Douglas in 2017, it felt like a security pick. In the second round, they took a chance on the injured Sidney Jones. Then, they selected Douglas as an attempt to fill that void for the first season. Looking back at the idea now, Howie Roseman and company did a great job. But with Darby and Jones healthy again, and Jalen Mills remaining impressive, it feels like the Eagles have started to forget about Rasul Douglas.
Is Douglas the forgotten one?
By the time Darby returned in November, Douglas had become nothing more than a backup who would hardly see the field. Unless the Eagles were demolishing their opponents, the young rookie would have to sit back and watch the veterans play. Although at times Darby struggled and everybody called for Douglas’ services, Jim Schwartz blocked the outside noise and stayed true to the vet.
There’s a different type of buzz concerning the cornerback position heading into 2018 training camp. Last season, the Eagles were doomed on the outside. Their number one cornerback, Patrick Robinson was on the road to being cut. Jalen Mills was going through growing pains, and Ronald Darby was still with the Buffalo Bills. While Douglas had a rookie pass, he was actually quite intriguing during his first training camp with the Eagles.
Fast forward to this season, and we don’t hear much about the former rookie. With the return of Jones and the uprising of veteran De’Vante Bausby, Douglas has become the forgotten one on the defense. Before OTAs had begun, Schwartz made it clear that every cornerback on the roster would have an opportunity to work out in the slot. After Jones, Bausby and Avonte Maddox put up an immense battle, the others didn’t get much of a chance, including Douglas.
Where do we go from here?
The big rumor around the league circling the Eagles this offseason had a lot to do with moving a cornerback. It was clear that they had a lot of talent on board, and some analysts believed that they could potentially trade Ronald Darby before they lose him to free agency in 2019. While it looks like that won’t be the case, that still doesn’t seem to help out Douglas’ case for 2018.
Right now, the Eagles have a good problem to have as long as Douglas remains patient without growing frustrated. This will be his full developmental year, and he will be ready to rock whenever his services are needed.
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Then, when the 2019 free agency period rolls around, we may see Darby entertain offers from other teams. After all, the Eagles aren’t very rich in cap space. Re-signing a young player to a substantial extension will be very difficult. So for those who are forgetting about Douglas, don’t worry. There’s a good chance that he will find himself becoming a key player by next season, at least. In other words, the cornerback position should not be a worry for the next few years.