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DB hope by Tommy Lawler-kind of anyway

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  • DB hope by Tommy Lawler-kind of anyway

    The CB Mystery

    Posted: May 25th, 2017 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 75 Comments




    The Eagles had a good offseason. Maybe a veyr good offseason. Time will tell on that. You can look at the roster and make a solid argument that the team is better at every position group than last year with one exception.

    CB.

    You can make the argument the Eagles are better at corner, but there is a lot of hope that goes into that thinking. Right now there is a lot of mystery as to how things will shake out.

    Sidney Jones and Rasul Douglas could form a dynamic duo for the next 5 years, but we’re not sure what will happen in 2017. Doug Pederson said Jalen Mills and Patrick Robinson are the starters for now. Ron Brooks is the projected slot corner. The Eagles would love Douglas to win a starting job, but since he’s a 3rd round rookie it isn’t fair to pencil him into the lineup. You need to see him in action first.

    Mills only started twice last year, but played extensively. He finished 5th on the team in tackles, so that should give you an idea of how much he was on the field. Mills was inconsistent. He would show a lot of promise on one play and then a lot of issues on the next. The coaches loved his confidence and the way he attacked things. Mills wasn’t afraid to make a mistake.

    Mills has a solid combination of size and athleticism, but he’s not special in any way. He is the kind of player who needs smarts and instincts to help him play well. You can see where having a year of experience under his belt will make a big difference for him. That isn’t to say he will suddenly turn into Troy Vincent this year, but he will have a better understanding of the Eagles scheme and what offenses are doing so he should play at a higher level. The Eagles just need him to be an effective starter.

    Robinson has been a good starter. He’s also struggled at times, both with his performance and with staying healthy. Robinson has started 49 games in his career, including 6 last season. He is physically gifted (former 1st round pick) and at his best is an aggressive CB who can make plays. The problem is that his confidence becomes an issue at times, causing him to become hesitant.

    The Eagles DL will be the best that Robinson has played behind in the NFL. That could make a big difference. Robinson played on some awful Saints defenses. To be fair, he was part of the problem. But they were awful in terms of coaching and talent. Playing with more talent and in a more stable environment could help to bring out the best in Robinson.

    Mills and Robinson could be effective starters. But there is risk. One is a late round pick and the other a career underachiever. That’s not a compelling duo.

    If Mills was able to crack the lineup last year, shouldn’t Douglas be able to do that this year? One would hope so. Mills was a 4-year starter at LSU. He faced top competition, in practice and in games. That really helps you to get ready for the NFL. Douglas played at a junior college for 2 years. He was a backup at West Virginia in 2015 and finally became a starter last year. He doesn’t have anything close to the same resume as Mills.

    But Douglas is bigger, better and more skilled. Douglas had a terrific showing at the Senior Bowl, where he did face some really good receivers. He fits the Eagles scheme and like Mills, is a confident, aggressive player. It is possible Douglas will push for a starting role.

    In an ideal world. the Eagles would probably love Douglas and Mills to start on the outside, with Robinson taking over in the slot, a place where he has played well in the past. Ron Brooks was effective there last year, but Robinson is a better CB than him so you would think the team would prefer Robinson to win that job.

    There are others.

    Dwayne Gratz started 13 games back in 2014 so he has some experience. Gratz is a good athlete and would love to show he belongs on the field. The Eagles aren’t counting on anything from him, but would love to see Gratz play well and win a roster spot, if not push for playing time.

    C.J. Smith surprised me with how well he played last summer. He won a roster spot, but didn’t get onto the field much at all. Aaron Grymes had a good summer, but got hurt late and that ruined his season. He might have gotten some playing time if not for the injury. Grymes could be a player to watch this summer. If he can build on what he did last year, Grymes could challenge for a role. Mitchell White is here to compete. He’s been around the league a few years, but most of his experience came from the CFL.

    UDFAs Randall Goforth and Jomal Wiltz want to shock people and steal jobs. None of us thought C.J. Smith was going to make it last year. You never know how a player is going to respond to the pro environment. It brings out the best in some guys.

    In some ways, CB feels like WR did last summer. Before you get too depressed, hear me out. There are a mixture of young players and low-budget veterans. Remember how the Eagles signed Reuben Randle, Chris Givens and T.J. Graham? None of those guys impressed us at all. That could happen again this year with Robinson, Gratz, Grymes and White. But there is a difference.

    The WRs were dealing with Frank Reich and Greg Lewis. The DBs will be dealing with Jim Schwartz and Cory Undlin, a pair of proven coaches who are also very demanding. Lewis tried to be Mr. Nice Guy with his players last year and it didn’t work. Schwartz and Undlin don’t know who Mr. Nice Guy is. They’ll be hard on the DBs as long as they can.

    The results might still be the same.

    They might. But there won’t be a lack of effort in trying to get Robinson, Gratz and the others to play their best.

    I also think having a good pass rush is going to help this year’s CBs. A good pass rush can make a world of difference for DBs. There is no equivalent factor for WRs. Good QB play certainly helps, but at the end of the day, the WR still has to get open and catch the ball. As Mills proved last year, a pass rusher can hit the QB as he throws, causing the ball to miss an open receiver by a few yards and the closest CB can still take credit for that.

    Robinson, Mills and Douglas are going to be huge factors in getting this to be an effective secondary in 2017. But so will Jernigan, Cox, Graham, Barnett, Curry and Long. If the pass rush is good enough, that will help the CB mystery to have a happy ending.
    "Hey Giants, who's your Daddy?"
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