The Eagles need help at cornerback. That isn’t a secret.
The only question is what they will do at the position and when the move will come.
While the team’s season opener is still months away, training camp is almost here, meaning the window to make a move that could really help the team is starting to shrink. There are free agents still available that could help — Steven Nelson, Richard Sherman — but Howie Roseman could also address the need via trade.
If he does, he will need to target two kinds of players — a starter on a team that isn’t trying to win, or a backup on a team that has shown potential in a limited amount of snaps.
Using that criteria, here are three players Roseman could target in a trade:
Bradley Roby, Houston Texans
Making a move for Roby would be a win-now move considering he has a base salary of $9.5 million in 2021, which would require the Eagle to open up some cap space, or do renegotiate his deal and commit to him for multiple years. He was also suspended six games last season for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. So needless to say, there are some roadblocks.
On the field, however, Roby might be the team’s best option in a trade.
Roby played at a pretty high level for the Texans last season when he was on the field, allowing just 23 catches and three touchdowns in 275 coverage snaps. Roby would bring some position versatility, as he has lined up in the slot and on the outside, giving Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon some flexibility on how he could use Roby.
Roby isn’t a shutdown cornerback, but is an obvious upgrade over anything the Eagles have opposite Darius Slay right now, and has shouldered the responsibility of being an every-down cornerback. With the Texans in an obvious rebuild, paying him close to $10 million doesn’t make much sense, meaning they could be open to trading him simply to get off his contract.
Roby definitely comes with some risks, but if he plays up to his potential, he could be a major boost to the Eagles’ secondary.
Ross Cockrell, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cockrell would bring a few different positives to the table for the Eagles.
To start, he has played over 3,600 snaps in the NFL, bringing the kind of experience the Eagles need in a young secondary. Cockrell has been pretty consistent since his rookie season, with Pro Football Focus giving him a coverage grade between 71.0 and 73.0 in four of the last five seasons. He has lined up all over the field, spending some time in the slot and on the outside. Finally, he got some playoff experience last season, appearing in three-of-the-four Buccaneers playoff games.
Cockrell isn’t currently projected to be a starter for the Buccaneers, and although they are a win-now team that might not want to trade a depth piece for a low draft pick, he is signed to just a one-year deal. He also played just 237 snaps (22.3%) last season, so he is certainly a replaceable piece for the Buccaneers.
If the Buccaneers like what they see from some of their younger corners in training camp, and the Eagles don’t make any major move at cornerback, they could swoop in and add the veteran cornerback to start opposite Slay.
Rashad Fenton, Kansas City Chiefs
Like Cockrell, Fenton is a depth piece on a win-now team, so the Chiefs could decide to just hang onto him. Also like Cockrell, however, Fenton played well in limited snaps last season and could be ready for a bigger role.
Fenton allowed just 31 catches and three touchdowns in 365 coverage snaps, giving up a quarterback rating of 83.1 when targeted. He was also a solid tackler, missing just one tackle all season. Fenton has the ability to play on the outside and in the slot, and is physical enough to get into the box and play the run if needed.
As mentioned above, Fenton was a part-time player for the Chiefs, playing 525 snaps (48%) on the Chiefs’ defense last season. Five defensive backs played more snaps last season, and of those five, four are back for the 2021 season — meaning Fenton very well could be set to spend most of the season on the bench.
With just two years of experience in the NFL, Fenton wouldn’t be a sure thing as a starter, but he does have upside and could prove to be a steal if the Eagles can get him for a low-round pick.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!