Philadelphia Eagles: Nickell Robey-Coleman provides needed depth

Nickell Robey-Coleman agreed to a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles on Wednesday.

Philadelphia Eagles fans were already excited over the team’s recent decision to acquire Darius Slay from the Detroit Lions to provide extra depth at the cornerback position after looking at all of the consistency throughout the 2019 season.

But on Wednesday, the Eagles provided fans with another reason to be excited after agreeing to a one-year deal with former Los Angeles Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman in what could turn out to be an underrated move in free agency.

Unfortunately, most football fans remember Robey-Coleman for his controversial play during the NFC Championship in 2019 that benefited the Rams in helping the team defeat the New Orleans Saints to advance to the Super Bowl.

Instead of focusing on that specific play, Eagles fans should look at the fact that Robey-Coleman has been considered one of the most underrated members of the Rams’ defense over the last three years while appearing in all but one game.

While Slay will take on the responsibilities as the No. 1 cornerback on the defensive side of the football, the addition of Robey-Coleman should help push some of the younger defenders such as Sidney Jones and Avonte Maddox, which Philadelphia desperately needs to see.

No one needs to explain some of the frustration surrounding the inconsistent play from Jones and Maddox over the years, as Philadelphia previously assumed they would be reliable starters by now.

If all goes well for the Eagles, Robey-Coleman’s presence should help these two elevate their games to new levels while providing the defense with the necessary depth to put the team in better position to finish on top of the NFC East for the third time in four years.

What is even more exciting for Philadelphia is since Robey-Coleman is only coming on board for a one-year deal, there is no long-term commitment for the Eagles, and they can easily move on after 2020 if things fail to work out.

Of course, the hope is that Robey-Coleman turns out to be another potential steal from this year’s free agency class to the point where Philadelphia keeps him around for the long run, but before jumping too far ahead, let’s see how 2020 plays out.