Tag: Ronald Darby

Eagles activate CB Cre’Von LeBlanc off injured reserve

Cre’Von LeBlanc off injured reserve and added to Eagles active roster

The Philadelphia Eagles have a full and healthy defensive backfield with the news that Cre’Von LeBlanc has been activated off of injured reserve and added to the 53-man roster.

To make room for LeBlanc, the Eagles waived Jordan Matthews earlier in the week.

LeBlanc injured his foot during the first week of training camp and missed all of the preseason.

During the 53-man cut-down, the Eagles designated LeBlanc to injured reserve with his status to return once healthy. LeBlanc will backup Avonte Maddox in the slot.

Eagles CB Jalen Mills has top defender passer rating in NFC since returning to lineup

Jalen Mills has top defender passer rating in NFC since returning to the lineup

Jalen Mills has played like the best cornerback on the roster since returning to the Eagles lineup and according to Next Generation stats, via the teams’ media department, Mills is fifth in the NFL and first in the NFC in defender passer rating since Week 7.

The tough and physical cornerback has raised the play of everyone in the secondary and what Mills lacks in height or draft status, he more than makes up in moxie and pure confidence.

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It’s no coincidence that the Eagles are 22-8 over the last three years when Mills starts and 15-6 when both Darby and Mills are in the lineup together. According to Reuben Frank, the stats suggest that the Eagles are a much better team with Mills in the lineup.

Philadelphia was 27th (280 yards per game) in the NFL in passing yards per game while Mills was out, and are now 3rd (174 yards per game) in the league with him back. Eagles’ opponent’s completion percentages, passer rating, and touchdown passes are also down when the “Green Goblin” is on the field.

Eagles land on ESPN’s list of most improved defenses

Philadelphia Eagles land on ESPN’s list of most improved defenses

The Philadelphia Eagles defense was criticized and battered during the first of the NFL season, but over the past four weeks, the Birds have gotten healthy and seemed to have found their rhythm.

With Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby healthy, the Eagles defense is among the best in the NFL over the past three weeks. According to ESPN.com, the Birds meteoric improvements as a defense have landed them on a list of the most improved defensive units.

8. Philadelphia Eagles
2019: -7.2% (6)
2018: 0.0% (15)
Gain: -7.2%

It’s a modest improvement, but the Eagles have gone from a 6.7% pass defense DVOA last year (15th) to -0.5% pass defense DVOA this year (12th). They’ve blitzed a bit more than they used to under Jim Schwartz, currently at 27.2% per SportsRadar, as compared to a league-low 16.0% in 2018.

The Birds have improved with the return of Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby to the secondary. Two other additions, Rudy Ford and Pass rusher Genard Avery, have also helped spur on the Eagles’ newfound defensive success.

Jalen Mills making his case to be Eagles’ highest-paid CB

Jalen Mills deserves to be Eagles highest-paid CB

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Jalen Mills is proof that a great attitude and the ability to leave the bad plays in the past, can be the recipe for lasting success in the NFL.

Mills isn’t the tallest cornerback on the team, he’s not the fastest and has a penchant for biting on out and up plays. But since his return from injury, the Eagles secondary has taken on a different look and attitude.

Against Tom Brady and the Patriots on Sunday, Mills was targeted nine times by Tom Brady.

He gave up just three completions for 11 yards, including a breakup of a deep ball intended for wide receiver Julian Edelman.

Mills and Ronald Darby are without a doubt the Eagles two most talented cornerbacks and with the duo back in the fold from injuries, Philadelphia has held their last three opponents to 5.1 yards per attempt.

Mills can be free agents at seasons end, and Howie Roseman would be smart to lock up the cornerback while allowing Darby to test the waters.

In four games since returning from injury, Mills has given up 172 total yards, has a completion percentage of 50%, with opposing quarterbacks having a QBR of 57.4 per Pro Football Reference.

Mills definitely deserves to get paid and according to Over The Cap, the Eagles cornerback isn’t in the top-100 of paid players at his position.

The Eagles could address the position through the draft as well, but with Rodney McLeod set to be a free agent and Malcolm Jenkins nearing the end, safety could be a priority in the draft as well. Rasul Douglas and Cre’von LeBlanc both have just one year remaining on their deals and second-year cornerback, Avonte Madoxx is the only cornerback on the roster signed through next year.

With 2017 second-round pick Sidney Jones and Darby likely to walk at seasons end, re-signing Mills becomes even more of a priority.

Former Bucs CB Vernon Hargreaves could be a player the Eagles have interest in claiming

Vernon Hargreaves could be a player the Eagles have interest in claiming

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers grew tired of Vernon Hargreaves and his antics, but could the former first-round pick be a player that the Eagles have interest in adding to the roster?

Two days after he was benched for lack of hustle, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers released starting cornerback Vernon Hargreaves on Tuesday morning.

“After thoughtful consideration over the past few weeks, Bruce and I came to the conclusion that we needed to make this change,” Buccaneer’s general manager Jason Licht said in a statement via ESPN.com. “
Hargreaves was the 11th overall pick in the 2016 draft out of the University of Florida.

Even with Cre’Von LeBlanc set to return to the roster, Hargreaves could be a good fit for an Eagles defense looking for a standout cornerback.

Hargreaves started all 16 games for the Buccaneers as a rookie, and had his best season as a pro, logging 76 tackles and two forced turnovers. The past two seasons have seen Hargreaves really struggle with injuries and inconsistency.

He missed half of his second season with a hamstring issue and all but one game last season after injuring his shoulder.

Hargreave would fit well in Jim Schwartz man to man defense, a style he was astute at coming out of college.

His physical play marvels Rasul Douglas’s style and he’s still playing on his rookie deal.

Because he was waived, Hargreaves will be subjected to the waiver process, meaning the other 31 NFL teams around the league will have an opportunity to place a claim before he can become an unrestricted free agent.

Still in his fourth-year, Hargreaves would carry a salary into 2020 of $9.954 million after the Buccaneers exercised his fifth-year option prior to the season.