Philadelphia Eagles talk: 3 Things we want for Cory Undlin’s birthday

Philadelphia Eagles defensive backs coach Cory Undlin turned 48 years young on December 29th, and ‘Birds’ fans everywhere should be able to agree on what they want for his birthday.

One of the most important areas of analysis during the upcoming training camp for the Philadelphia Eagles is going to be in the back end of the defense. There are a ton of guys competing for a spot at safety and corner, and the Eagles are going to have some options. Doug Pederson and his assistant coaches, namely defensive backs coach Cory Undlin, are going to have a ton of work to do come camp.

Undlin’s served as Philly’s defensive backs coach since 2015, so he knows what he’s looking for. There should be no worries there, but as June turns to July, something special happened for Undlin.

He celebrated another year of life. Take a look:

That’s 48 years of life if anyone’s counting. There’s been no word on how he spent his time, but there has been a bit of talk about Philly’s secondary and what their plans may be about who stays and who goes.

Here, at ITI, we’ve kind of come up with a wish list. Here are three things that should make Undlin’s birthday feel like an extended one. Here are three things that we’re hoping for during the 2019 season.

1. Healthy seasons for everyone in the secondary.

Over the course of the past two seasons, it’s felt like everyone’s been hurt minus Malcolm Jenkins and Rasul Douglas. That may have been a blessing in disguise as we’ve learned that Avonte Maddox and Cre’Von LeBlanc can play, but if Philly wants their best shot to win, Ronald Darby, Sidney Jones, Jalen Mills, and Rodney McLeod all need to be available and healthy.

Each one missed time during the 2018 regular season.

2. Ten picks or more during the 2019 regular season campaign.

Douglas led the Eagles with three of the team’s nine total interceptions in 2018. Nothing ignites a defense or an offense like forcing turnovers. With, everything we’re expecting from ‘The Birds’ on offense in 2018, here’s something else to take into consideration.

Creating a few more opportunities for Carson Wentz and company could create major problems for opposing defenses and their coordinators.

3. A new deal for Malcolm Jenkins

Well, you knew this was coming, didn’t you? The 4th of July is approaching, and Jenkins is still without the contract extension he so desires. Philly has a history of taking care of the guys who produce, and after playing one-hundred percent of the defense’s snaps in 2018, you can’t argue with what Jenkins means to the defense.

Now, we just need to know if there’s an argument contrary to Adam Schefter’s belief that Jenkins may not be given a new deal. Fans are hoping Philly does right by ’27’, but at this point, there’s no way of knowing whether or not they will.