Robey-Coleman gives Philadelphia Eagles a breakout star at slot corner

Dare we say Robey-Coleman will be a breakout star on the Philadelphia Eagles?

When we start talking about slot cornerbacks and the Philadelphia Eagles, the conversation has the possibility of trending off into several different directions. There have been recent questions about whether or not that should have been Sidney Jones’ role, who gets the nod between Cre’Von LeBlanc and Avonte Maddox, and how good Patrick Robinson was during that 2017-2018 season.

The slot cornerback position hasn’t always been an area of strength for this Eagles franchise. Honestly, it’s been a bit of a revolving door. Following the above-average play of Al Harris and a below-average showing from Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie during that “Dream Team” debacle, there was a nice season from Brandon Boykin before Chip Kelly made one of those Chip Kelly moves. You know, identifying Philly’s talented players and shipping them off.

Hold on to your seats Philadelphia Eagles fans. The “Birds” may have something here.

2020 approaches and the “Birds” have a new guy, one they picked up during the most recent free-agency frenzy. His name is Nickell Robey-Coleman, and this could be the guy to stabilize things. ESPN’s Tim McManus named him as one of four Eagles causing an inner-team buzz, and it doesn’t take much to see why that’s the case.

Here’s a quote.

"Philly views Robey-Coleman as a top-five slot corner in the NFL. He allowed a passer rating of 80.1 last season with the Los Angeles Rams, good for 13th among all cornerbacks, and was sixth in yards per slot coverage snap (0.63), according to Pro Football Focus… The Eagles believe the additions of Robey-Coleman and Darius Slay have substantially improved the cornerback position."

Prior to his arrival in Philly, Robey-Coleman tallied 298 tackles, 52 pass breakups, five sacks, six picks, and two defensive touchdowns in 115 games with 24 starts, including the playoffs., as a member of both the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Rams.

Philly’s got him on a one-year deal, a staple in the Howie Roseman philosophy of teambuilding. Look for big things from Robey-Coleman and for the number “31” to be in on a few big plays. No, that isn’t Jalen Mills. It’s Nickell Robey-Coleman. If Philly can figure out who starts on the other side of Darius Slay, we could be in for a few surprises from these Philly cover guys.