Philadelphia Eagles CB Ronald Darby could fall behind on depth chart

Reports on Tuesday afternoon indicate that Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Ronald Darby will start training camp on the PUP list.

The 2019 NFL offseason has been underway for a few months now, but we’re beginning to inch closer to the season. In a couple of days, the Philadelphia Eagles will take the field at the Nova Care Complex where they will officially kick of their 2019 training camp sessions. Then, in a couple of weeks, the preseason will partake. As you know, the Eagles are anticipating another big season, but it’s going to take a lot more than talent on paper to get far.

Yes, the Eagles are en extremely talented bunch from front to back. But remaining healthy is still going to be key for the year. Over the last two seasons, the Eagles managed to get far into the postseason, but injuries have caused some worries over time. In 2017, the injuries didn’t affect the Eagles enough to derail their remarkable season — 2018 was a different story though.

Last season, the Eagles were one of the most injured teams in the NFL and their defensive secondary suffered the most losses. Rodney McLeod, Jalen Mills, Sidney Jones, and Ronald Darby were all starters at the beginning of the year. Eventually, they all suffered a significant injury, which ended their season effectively. Most of these guys will be ready for camp on Thursday, but Ronald Darby is expected to take some more time off.

Ronald Darby will get a late start

Back in November, Darby suffered a knee injury, which would get diagnosed as a torn ACL. At that point, his future in Philadelphia would become extremely questionable considering he’s only played in 17 regular-season games for the Eagles over the last two years. However, Darby and the Eagles reached an agreement on a one-year deal, keeping him in midnight green for next season.

Seeing as though the Eagles’ secondary saw some solid flashes from guys such as Rasul Douglas, Avonte Maddox, and Cre’Von LeBlanc during the final stretch of the year, it only makes it right that a battle for the starting cornerback positions ensues during training camp. Unfortunately, though, Darby’s absence could cause him to be the odd man out when the season rolls around.

Clearly, the Eagles have faith in Darby being a productive starting cornerback in the NFL. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have signed him back on. But will they just hand over a starting spot to Darby when he returns? That’s where everybody remains confused. The Eagles signed Darby for just under $10 million. Of course, he has to earn a lot of his money through incentives, though.

Knowing he’s not guaranteed a ton, there’s a good chance the Eagles won’t feel pressed to just make him the starter right away when he gets back. Although a healthy Darby is arguably the Eagles’ best cornerback, there’s no guarantee that his starting spot on the outside will be available when he’s able to return. After a long camp battle, a few standouts could win over Darby’s initial place on the depth chart, and there’s a good chance he won’t be able to fight for his right to start in training camp, which leaves him far behind for the 2019 season.