Philadelphia Eagles CB Rasul Douglas created quite a buzz this offseason

Many Philadelphia Eagles players have stood out this offseason — but it sure sounds like Rasul Douglas is creating the most buzz on defense.

The NFL offseason is a fun time, but it also causes a lot of confusion and false hope. For one, the confusion comes from the fact that a team is playing against themselves. Meaning if the offense is playing good, it could mean the defense is playing bad. And if the offense is playing bad, then it could probably say the defense is playing good.

Secondly, the false hope comes from the fact that at the end of the day, it is just practice. Guys can look like stars in meaningless scrimmages and drills, but then get on the football field and have a lousy day. Typically, that analysis comes from players who haven’t proven anything yet in the NFL, so we try not to buy into players who are that situation.

However, if a specific player has shown flashes over time in a handful of games and they look decent in training camp, then the hype can become more exciting. Every year, the Philadelphia Eagles tend to have a budding star in the offseason, and so far this year it feels like third-year cornerback Rasul Douglas is the next player to make a name for himself in 2019.

Looking back at the past

Rasul Douglas was a third-round pick over two years ago at this point. The West Virginia product came off as an insurance pick by the Eagles after they selected cornerback, Sidney Jones in the second round just months after he tore his Achilles.

While the Eagles didn’t plan on using Douglas much in 2017, he ended up getting a significant amount of snaps early on in the year since Ronald Darby ended up dislocating his ankle during the first game of Douglas’ rookie year. Douglas didn’t have high expectations in year one, so even an average performance could look good.

While he wasn’t tremendous in his five starts, he undoubtedly showed some promise with two interceptions, eleven pass deflections, and 24 total tackles. Once Darby came back though, Jim Schwartz and the Eagles showed Douglas the bench.

Year two was once again an interesting one for Douglas. He had a quiet offseason, and wouldn’t win over a starting position in the cornerback camp battle. But with a ridiculous amount of injuries to the secondary in 2018, Douglas did end up starting in seven games with the Eagles.

At first, he struggled. But after a talk with his team captain, Fletcher Cox, Douglas ended up flourishing into a promising cornerback. On the back end of the year, Douglas was leading the Eagles in tackles. He finished off the season with 58 total tackles — six of which, were for losses.

Along with his tackling, Douglas showed off his ball-hawking skills and ended up snagging a career-high of three interceptions as well. Despite the struggles early on, Douglas’ 2018 effort made his 2019 offseason much more critical, because now he should strongly be considered for a starting role this year. And after one week, it has become evident he’s up for the challenge.

What’s being said about Douglas’ 2019 Training Camp?

Right now, Douglas and the rest of the healthy cornerbacks have a prime opportunity on their hands. With Ronald Darby limited, Jalen Mills on the PUP, and Cre’Von LeBlanc sidelined with a boot, guys like Douglas, Sidney Jones, and Avonte Maddox can all make their case for a starting position in September. While all guys mentioned above have had their moments in camp, no other cornerback has seemed to be called out more for the right reasons than Douglas.