Philadelphia Eagles: Predicting which cornerbacks stay or go in 2020

Rasul Douglas: Go

Like Jones, Rasul Douglas is entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract.

While Jones recent play suggests he might have some upside, we have seen a good sample size from Douglas since he has played in 46 out of a possible 48 games in his three seasons with the Eagles.

However, the difference between Jones and Douglas is that Douglas has likely peaked.

While he isn’t the fastest corner, Douglas’ six-foot-two, 209-pound frame allows him to hang with the more physical receivers in the league. This was evident in his third career game when Douglas shadowed Brandon Marshall and picked off a pass in coverage against him.

We’ve seen Douglas forced into action every year since the Eagles drafted him, including when Ronald Darby went down in the season opener in Douglas’ rookie season in 2017.

During that season, Douglas had 25 tackles, 11 passes defended, two interceptions, and a 64.1 grade from Pro Football Focus. All things considered, it wasn’t a bad start for the former third-round pick.

In year two, Douglas started nine of the last 10 games, which included two starts in the postseason. Douglas finished that season with 58 total tackles, six tackles for loss, three interceptions, and four passes defended. PFF gave him a grade of 69.6.

Last season, Douglas started six games total, but played in all 16 and finished with 35 total tackles, three tackles for loss, 10 passes defended, and a 52.0 grade from PFF. While there was a significant dip in his PFF grade, his numbers and film weren’t drastically different from previous years.

Douglas’ approximate value was three in 2017, four in 2018, and three in 2019. We have not seen much progression from Douglas in these past few seasons, but he hasn’t gotten worse either.

Unfortunately, Douglas is at best a very reliable backup. He has definitely shown more than Jones has on the field, but that might be why it’s time to say goodbye to Douglas.

With trade speculation around Douglas this offseason, it seems like there’s a chance he could get moved in the near future. Another team might have a major need at cornerback and put value in his youth and potential upside in the future.

The Eagles should cash in while they have the chance to keep him on the back of the depth chart and then let him walk in free agency. If they can’t find a suitor for Douglas initially, he will still be of value as a backup for now and can still be traded before the midseason deadline.