Philadelphia Eagles should only use Sidney Jones as backup this week
Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Sidney Jones missed a majority of last week’s game with an injury. Could he return this week?
The injury plague has once again reached the Philadelphia Eagles secondary. They went from having six cornerbacks on board, who were guaranteed to make the roster in August, to only three healthy players in October. Two of which, weren’t even originally supposed to make the team.
The Eagles don’t have a choice at this point, though. There’s no way they can be picky. This week, only Rasul Douglas, Craig James, and Orlando Scandrick were set to play as of Thursday. Cre’Von LeBlanc and Jalen Mills are still off the active roster, while Avonte Maddox and Ronald Darby continue to nurse injuries.
Sidney Jones will now be the fourth cornerback suited up for Sunday, but he’s been limited all week. Doug Pederson expects the Eagles to get Jones back on the field for Sunday against the Jets, but should they really try to use him as a starter if he’s cleared to play?
A decision to make…
As of Thursday, Sidney Jones was a limited participant in practice for the Eagles. His status for Sunday’s matchup against New York is still in question. Considering the Eagles haven’t cleared up a roster to spot to sign a guy temporarily, it looks like Jones will be healthy enough to be the fourth cornerback suited up on Sunday.
Even if Jones is healthy enough to truly get cleared for Sunday, should the Eagles even take that risk and allow him to play as a starter? Think about it — last season the Eagles were dealing with a similar issue as they lacked healthy depth for the position. When Sidney Jones wasn’t 100-percent, the Eagles still trotted him out on the field in order to use him.
dark. Next. Eagles should make a move for Stefon Diggs
Not only did a hobbled Sidney Jones struggle, but he also ended up getting further injured. And soon, Jones would be ruled out for the rest of the year. While trotting Craig James and Orlando Scandrick out on the field isn’t an ideal scenario — neither is risking losing Sidney Jones for the rest of the season once again. If the Eagles choose to suit Jones up as an emergency backup, that makes sense. Trying to play him with a bad hamstring though shouldn’t be in their best interest.