Might the Philadelphia Eagles secondary be an area of strength in 2020?
It may not seem like it, but there was a time (a very long time ago at that) when fans didn’t have to worry about the Philadelphia Eagles’ secondary. Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins patrolled centerfield at free safety while playing with a myriad of great cornerbacks around him, most of which he also helped make better.
Prior to that, those “Gang Green” defenses under Buddy Ryan (and to a lesser extent Rich Kotite) featured a hard-hitting, ball-hawking secondary to go along with a defense that struck fear into the hearts of the rest of the NFL. As a matter of fact, pretty much every successful period in Eagles history was punctuated by a strong secondary.
Things seem to have slipped more often than not over the past decade. The 2017 Super Bowl-winning team was loaded with a talented roster that the Eagles rode to their first Vince Lombardi Trophy, but despite the leadership of Malcolm Jenkins, the secondary was still viewed by many as their weak spot on defense.
Fast forward to the present and not much has changed. For, seemingly, what’s been the entire Doug Pederson era, the Philadelphia Eagles have had issues in the last line of their defense. With a new approach in 2020, it can become a strength. Here are two thoughts on the subject.