Ronald Darby has the Eagles’ top cornerback slot locked up (for now)
It can be said now. Ronald Darby is still the top cornerback on the Philadelphia Eagles’ roster, and that doesn’t figure to change much during the 2018 season.
Much is said and has been said over the last 362 days concerning Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Ronald Darby. He’s been called fragile. He did, indeed, go down in Week 1 a season ago thanks to a non-contact injury, but he returned and held up pretty well.
Fast forward, and we’re at the beginning of the 2018 season, a contract year for Darby. There’s been questions about whether or not he’ll return in 2019. Many were, again, due to the concerns about his ability to stay upright. Would Philly want to invest a long-term deal into someone if they’re concerned about his ability to stay healthy?
There’s just one thing. Darby is, without question, the best cornerback on the Eagles’ roster.
Let’s take a quick look back and then, a look ahead.
On August 11th, Ronald Darby celebrates the one-year anniversary of his arrival in Philly. Six days after doing so in 2017, Lincoln Financial Field erupted as he picked of a pass and followed that with a tremendous return against, of all teams, the one that traded him to ‘The Birds’ in the first place, the Buffalo Bills.
There’s been a bit of ‘feast or famine’ in the Darby saga, but that’s, sometimes, the life of an NFL cornerback. It’s hard to forget Rob Gronkowski catching a go-ahead score over him in the Super Bowl, but it’s also hard to forget a game-changing interception against the Oakland Raiders.
That interception gave the Eagles the opportunity to kick the game-winning field goal. That victory gave the Eagles home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
So far, Darby’s been almost impossible to criticize in training camp. Receivers can’t shake him. The other corners keep peeking at him to see how things are supposed to be done. Recently, he shared some of his thoughts on everything from his number changing to his goals for the 2018 season.
Take a look:
Video courtesy of the Philadelphia Eagles official YouTube page
It’s looking more and more like Darby and Jalen Mills will be the starting cornerback tandem when the season kicks off a month from now. Past that who knows, but Darby, barring injury or something catastrophic, is a lock to hold down that top cornerback spot in 2018.
Eagles fans will get to see him in live game action this coming Thursday when ‘The Birds’ host the Steelers. By the way, he’s definitely right on one thing. The number 21 definitely looks better on him than 41 did.