Philadelphia Eagles find themselves with a loaded secondary

Seeing a wounded Philadelphia Eagles secondary over the past two seasons may have actually been a blessing in disguise.

The injury bug bites every team every now and again, some more than others. The last couple of  seasons, the bug seemed to have a particular craving for the Philadelphia Eagles, and depressed fans craving cheese steaks has come as a result.

This may have turned into a blessing in disguise however.

2017’s version of the Eagles showcased a the team that was able to overcome the bug and win Super Bowl LII. This happened despite the loss of their starting middle linebacker, quarterback, and left tackle among others.

For some, this would seem insurmountable, but this was nothing compared to what was to come a season later. In 2018, the Eagles lost what seemed like every cornerback and running back that was on the roster at the beginning of the season.

Add to that the loss of Carson Wentz and other key players. The team once again banded together and incredibly came very close to heading back to a second-straight NFC Championship Game.  As a result, Philly showed the world just how much heart they have, especially the backups and younger players who were almost forced to mature before they were, maybe, ready to do so.

This is why Eagles fans should be excited.

The two position group that was forced to play at a level beyond their experience more than any other was, without a shadow of a doubt, the safeties and cornerbacks.  Unproven, untested, and, in some cases, undrafted spring chickens were plugged in the lineup and played in some of the biggest stages that they probably didn’t dream of playing in at that stage in their respective careers, but after injuries to Super Bowl starters Ronald Darby, Jalen Mills and Rodney McLeod, that’s what needed to happen.

Sure, fans were familiar with a couple of these guys, players like Rasul Douglas, who had five career interceptions (including three last season) and Sidney Jones. The latter finally got his chance to play after what amounted to a redshirt rookie season. He gave fans a sliver of hope after the myriad of casualties, however, with the emergence of two players in particular, that really should have the Philly faithful ecstatic.

Now let’s take a closer look at the unsung heroes of last season.

Last year’s rookie sensation, Avonte Maddox, and the formerly undrafted Cre’Von LeBlanc faced the nearly insurmountable task trying to fit into a Super Bowl winning-unit from the year prior. Maddox was an undersized five-foot-nine, 4th-round pick out of the University of PIttsburgh. LeBlanc was a former undrafted free agent that bounced around the league and got waived by three teams. Both filled in and excelled in their roles with great aplomb.

LeBlanc was a huge breath of fresh air in the slot and had an absolutely colossal touchdown-saving play in the NFC Wildcard Playoff Game versus the Chicago Bears. That one went a long way in deciding the game and the season. Maddox did all he could to help, playing both corner and safety.

The play of both resulted in everything from a forced fumble to picked off passes during Philly’s playoff run, including one in the aforementioned playoff game in the Windy City. In fact, one could even make the argument these dreadlocked dynamos were just as crucial, if not more so, in saving the season as Nick Foles was.

There’s no need to worry about this group.

With all this being said, the Eagles have six capable cornerbacks, seven if you include Josh Hawkins, who was also undrafted. He also saw some playoff playing time.

Add him to the mix of with safeties McCleod, Malcolm Jenkins and the newly signed Andrew Sendejo, and the Eagles are absolutely loaded at the position. While it’s true that there is a chance that not all these players may make the final roster and you can argue that there’s no true ‘superstar’, depth as it relates to the secondary shouldn’t be a concern for this team moving forward.