A once vulnerable unit for the Philadelphia Eagles could become the strength of the team by seasons end if everything works out for Jim Schwartz.
A secondary that was reduced to playing a ton of zone coverage over the past two seasons will now give Jim Schwartz the option to unleash 60-minutes of hell on opposing offenses that face the Philadelphia Eagles this season.
Schwartz has Darius Slay at cornerback, Nickell Robey-Coleman and Cre’Von LeBlanc in the slot, with several different options to man the cornerback spot opposite Slay. A unit that was much-maligned last season could be deeper and more versatile after moving Avonte Maddox to the outside and Jalen Mills from cornerback to safety.
The pandemic will make the transition challenging, but as The Inquirer reported, the Eagles could return to the times of Troy Vincent, Bobby Taylor, and Brian Dawkins.
“That’s definitely an easier transition,” Robey-Coleman said Monday during a video news conference. “That’s up my alley. I love man-to-man. I love getting in people’s faces, putting hands on [them].
“That’s definitely going to be one of the [hallmarks] of this defense, is getting in people’s face and actually covering them and letting the D-line do what they do best, and that’s getting after the quarterback.”
If the Eagles can pair a consistent and volatile pass rush with Slay’s ability to flourish in man-to-man coverage, Philadelphia could end up being the most balanced team on both sides of the ball in the entire NFC.
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