Reuben Frank and Dave Zangaro bring back Stay or Go in 2023, trying to figure out the futures of every Eagles player on the roster.
Up first: Corners and receivers.
James Bradberry
Roob: Would love to see it, but I just don’t see how it’s possible. The last play of the season notwithstanding, Bradberry was outstanding in his first year with the Eagles, earning 2nd-team all-pro honors and winding up at the top of every analytics cornerback ranking. That’s the problem. Bradberry played too well for the Eagles to afford him. Not with Darius Slay already carrying a cap figure of about $26 million in 2023. Normally? Yeah, Howie Roseman wouldn’t hesitate to get this done. With Jalen Hurts about to break the bank? Don’t think so.
Verdict: Goes
Dave: This is going to be Bradberry’s last shot at a big contract in free agency and there will be no discount for the Eagles. For a team that already has Darius Slay on a top-10 cornerback contract, having two guys making that kind of money is hard to do. The argument for keeping Bradberry is simple. Having two elite cornerbacks opened up the entire defensive playbook. But this comes down to money and I don’t think the Eagles will be able to afford Bradberry this time around.
Verdict: Goes
Mario Goodrich
Roob: The Eagles must like Goodrich because they kept him on the practice squad for his entire rookie year and then snapped him back up on a futures contract after the season. With Bradberry expected to leave and Slay’s contract up after 2023, the Eagles are going to take long looks at all their young cornerbacks in training camp, and Goodrich doesn’t even turn 24 until next January. A solid training camp could put him in the mix, but until we see it, he’s on the outside looking in.
Verdict: Goes
Dave: The Eagles had a ton of young cornerbacks on the roster last training camp and Goodrich separated himself enough to stick on the practice squad all season. The Clemson product wan an undrafted rookie but many thought he was a draft-worthy player. He’s worth an extended look at training camp but for now we’ll keep Goodrich off the roster.
Verdict: Goes
Josh Jobe
Roob: He played at Alabama, so he’s got that going for him. He showed some physicality at times on special teams. Only played a dozen snaps on defense. The Eagles kept Jobe on the 53 all year, and like Goodrich he’ll get a long look at training camp, but it’s hard to sit here and project an undrafted player to make an impact as a cornerback. Especially with the Eagles likely to draft at least one corner, maybe two.
Verdict: Goes
Dave: The UDFA out of Alabama played just 12 defensive snaps all season but ended up being a pretty good special teams player. He played 220 special teams snaps in the regular season and was tied for the team lead with 59 in the playoffs. Wouldn’t be shocked if the Eagles find an upgrade here but I think there’s a better than 50% chance Jobe is back on the roster.
Verdict: Stays
Avonte Maddox
Roob: He’s not going anywhere, and I still think he’s one of the NFL’s better slot corners, but you know how Miles Sanders reshaped his offseason last year in an effort to reduce the injuries that plagued his career? It paid off for Sanders, and I wonder if Maddox could do something similar because he’s just missing too many games. He played only about half the season this year, and the Eagles need more out of him. Maybe it’s just a product of his size and how physical a player he is, and the injuries are unavoidable. But a healthy Maddox would be so valuable to the Eagles. Hopefully he figures that part of it out because when he’s healthy he’s really good.
Verdict: Stays
Dave: The Eagles signed Maddox to a three year, $22.5 million contract during last season that will keep him here through the 2024 season. So he’s going to be on the team in 2023. But Maddox really struggled to stay healthy in 2023 and that’s a concern going forward. Maddox is just 5-9 but he’s such an aggressive player and won’t compromise his playing style. Maddox is great when healthy but we didn’t really get to see that as much as you’d like in 2022.
Verdict: Stays
Tristin McCollum
Roob: Don’t tell Dave Zangaro I had no idea who Tristin McCollum was when I got to his name. He’d be very disappointed in me. The Eagles apparently signed McCollum to a futures contract in the middle of the postseason run, so it’s understandable that we all might have missed it. Turns out McCollum was a four-year starter at Sam Houston State and played on the 2020 FCS National Championship team coached by former Rowan and Delaware head coach K.C. Keeler (who was in training camp with the Eagles in 1982 and 1983). His dad Corey Carr played in 42 games for the Chicago Bulls in 1999, and his twin brother Zyon was the Bucs’ 5th-round pick this year and played in 13 games for Tampa. Now you know.
Verdict: Goes
Dave: The Eagles signed McCollum to a futures deal in January after his practice squad contract with the Texans ran out. McCollum went updrafted out of Sam Houston State last year. He wasn’t invited to the combine but measured in at 6-1, 198 pounds at his pro day and ran a 4.48 and had a vertical of 37.5 inches coming off a shoulder surgery. Another long shot in camp.
Verdict: Goes
Zech McPhearson
Roob: If the Eagles don’t draft a corner in the first couple rounds, McPhearson could get the first crack at Bradberry’s starting spot. McPhearson has been the top outside CB backup for a couple years but actually played more last year than this year. When he’s played? He’s been OK. No huge breakdowns, no big plays. I’m not sure he’s a full-time starter, but he’s a solid special teamer and a capable backup – and cheap - so he’ll be here one way or another.
Verdict: Stays
Dave: The starting duo of Slay and Bradberry wasn’t just good in 2022 … it was durable. So we didn’t get to see much of McPhearson again. The fourth-round pick from Texas Tech has played well when he’s been out there but it just hasn’t been a lot. There was a thought he could have been the starter last season but then the Eagles added Bradberry in May. Even if McPhearson doesn’t get that chance again in 2023, he’s become a solid backup and a good special teamer.
Verdict: Stays
Josiah Scott
Roob: He was pretty good at times, he was really bad at times, but I saw enough positives from a 23-year-old in a significant role for a Super Bowl team that I wouldn’t mind bringing him back and seeing if he can take a big step forward in terms of consistency. Scott got past 3rd-and-30 and made some plays in the slot, including two interceptions – just one fewer than Darius Slay. Scott is mentally and physically tough and that’s a good place to start. And it's not like the Eagles are going to be able to spend a ton on a slot corner.
Verdict: Stays
Dave: It was telling to me that late in the season when Maddox was injured the Eagles elected to move C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the nickel spot and play Reed Blankenship at safety. They had that much more trust in Blankenship than Scott that they were willing to move some pieces around in the secondary instead of just playing Scott. I give Scott a ton of credit for battling when he was out there but teams were attacking him and the Eagles have to try to avoid putting themselves in that situation again. They also have enough good young players on special teams that it makes Scott more disposable.
Verdict: Goes
Darius Slay
Roob: The second half of the season concerns me a bit. Slay is still a Pro Bowl corner, but he didn’t finish the season strong and at 30 you wonder if that’s a bit of an ominous sign. Through Week 9, Slay had the second-best defensive passer rating in the league among all cornerbacks at 37.2 (behind only Bradberry). He allowed one TD and had three INTs. From Week 10 on through the Super Bowl, he ranked 77th out of 81 with a 126.1 rating. He allowed five TDs and had no INTs during that span. Slay will be back, but the Eagles certainly first half Slay next year, especially with Bradberry gone.
Verdict: Stays
Dave: He’s 32 now so it’s probably fair to wonder when we’ll see Slay’s level in play drop off. It was a tad uneven in 2022 but Slay still had a really good season and made his second consecutive Pro Bowl. It’s also worth nothing that he was a first-teamer on the NFLPA’s first All-Pro team. It’s clear how respected Slay is by his peers. They see the matchups he gets week in and week out.
Verdict: Stays
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