It’s been a rough start to what could have been such a promising 2025 season for Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Kelee Ringo.
The third-year pro entered training camp with a clear path to a starting role, working opposite Quinyon Mitchell. But he struggled mightily during the preseason, enough to land in Vic Fangio’s doghouse and drop behind aging veteran Adoree’ Jackson and newcomer Jakorian Bennett on the Week 1 depth chart.
Injuries have created redemption opportunities for Ringo in recent weeks, but it’s been more of the same. He played 41 snaps against the Giants last Thursday night, had two penalties, and was burned for 73 of rookie Jaxson Dart’s 195 passing yards, per Pro Football Focus.
Ringo is still only 23 years old, and the Eagles are in no position to be ditching cornerback prospects right now, especially with Mitchell nursing a new hamstring issue.
But the writing could be on the wall for Ringo, who barely saw the field during Philly’s 2024 playoff run and feels like a poor fit for Fangio’s defense.
Philadelphia Eagles trade prediction swaps Kelee Ringo for Seattle Seahawks starter Tariq Woolen
ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell dropped 13 NFL trade deadline proposals that would make sense, and the Eagles unceremoniously made his list.
Fangio confirmed to reporters Tuesday that Jackson — who you could argue has been even less dependable than Ringo this year — will remain the Eagles’ CB2 behind Mitchell, which should further fuel speculation on Ringo’s future in Philly.
Barnwell proposed a swap with Seattle for 26-year-old CB Tariq Woolen, who’s been starting for the Seahawks this year with mixed results, at best.
“Philly desperately needs a third cornerback to play on the outside across from Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, and though Woolen has struggled to match what was a sterling performance as a rookie, he's going to offer more upside than just about anybody the Eagles can acquire at the deadline.”
The hypothetical deal also includes a 2026 pick swap, with Philly sending a fourth-round pick to Seattle and receiving a fifth-rounder in return. That makes sense, as Ringo is the younger prospect and was taken with the No. 104 overall pick in 2023; Woolen was selected in the fifth round in 2022.
The problem with this trade idea is that it wouldn’t really move the needle for Philadelphia’s defense. Woolen showed some promise as a rookie, but you can throw him in a giant pot with Jackson, Bennett, and Ringo; none of those guys inspires much confidence right now.
Woolen is also on an expiring contract. Philly would be trading away a younger prospect who’s been in its system, for an older player who could easily move on in free agency in 2026.
It could behoove the Eagles to instead shop for a nickel corner — Roger McCreary of the tanking Tennessee Titans could be an option — and experiment with moving Cooper DeJean outside. Fangio has had that wild-card in his pocket, but DeJean has played just 18 percent of his snaps as a true cornerback, per PFF, with the majority of those reps coming in base packages.
Read more: Analyst says what Eagles fans have been clamoring for on Jihaad Campbell’s role
DeJean is extremely valuable to the Eagles as one of the best nickel corners in the NFL, but desperate times call for desperate measures. If Woolen’s the best trade option out there at the deadline, the Eagles will have to get creative to fix their most glaring problem on defense.