PHILADELPHIA — The opportunity is there for Adoree’ Jackson to seize a starting cornerback job on the Philadelphia Eagles. The odds, however, may not be in his favor.
Yes, there is a cornerback spot open in nickel defense opposite of Quinyon Mitchell (Cooper DeJean plays the slot). That’s all Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio can offer to Jackson.
“Howie [Eagles general manager Howie Roseman] kind of wanted to sign him. When Howie wants to sign somebody it doesn’t matter what I say,” Fangio said with a laugh. “So we just took him in.”
Fangio is honest to a fault, a nice change of pace in today’s NFL. That’s not an encouraging sign for Jackson.
Basically, if it were up to Fangio, the Eagles would not have signed Jackson this offseason. Who knows which player Fangio would have preferred at cornerback (if anyone), or if Kelee Ringo would have been handed the job.
That doesn’t mean Jackson isn’t getting the chance to prove Fangio wrong. Jackson was the starting cornerback in three of the first four practices of training camp, but two of those practices were with the Eagles just wearing helmets. Once the pads came on, Ringo started with the first team and Jackson mixed in with the ones later in the practice.
During Tuesday’s practice, Ringo was on the left side when Mitchell was on the right. When Mitchell moved over to the left, Jackson was on the right side instead of Ringo.
This truly is a competition, as Fangio has promised. That’s all he’s promising to Jackson.
“Just who’s playing better,” Fangio said. “I mean, a lot of the times it’s easy for you guys to see when a guy makes a good play, but there’s a lot of times where they’ve got a good play going and the ball doesn’t go there so you don’t really know it and vice versa.
“They might have a bad down going and the ball doesn’t go there so it doesn’t get exposed. So it’s just consistent overall good play. Just because the ball did or did not go his way, those plays are just as important in evaluating.”
‘Best thing since sliced bread’: Eagles’ Jalyx Hunt being compared to Micah Parsons; can he live up to hype?
Jeff Kerr
Jackson is one of the elder statesman on the younger defense in the NFL (by average age). He’ll turn 30 years old in September, and would be the only 30-year old on the 53-man roster (assuming he makes the team). It’s also easy for the Eagles to cut Jackson if he doesn’t win the starting job, as he’s only making $1.76 million on a one-year deal.
Outside of Mitchell, Ringo, and DeJean, the Eagles have fourth-round rookie Mac McWilliams and Eli Ricks. That’s a solid — albeit young — group of cornerbacks, three of whom play special teams.
This training camp is crucial for Jackson and his NFL future. Fangio was quick to point out Jackson wasn’t re-signed after stints with the Titans and Giants, the latter of which he signed a three-year, $39 million deal that didn’t pan out for New York. He did return to the Giants after the contract was completed last year, but the team didn’t bring him back until September.
Jackson was also a first-round pick by Tennessee, but the Titans didn’t exercise his fifth-year option and allowed him to leave as a free agent.
“I don’t know if I think it’s the place. I think it’s time for him to show that,” Fangio said. “In Tennessee, when it came time to re-sign him after his contract was up, they didn’t. The Giants, his contract was up, they didn’t.
“It’s time to show who he is or who he isn’t.”
In Fangio’s mind, Jackson hasn’t reached his full potential. Hard to get to that level in your 30s.
“He’s played a good bit of ball,” Fangio said. “But I think this is the place where he’s got to show who he is and be the player hopefully that people have always thought he could be.”
It’s up to Jackson to prove Fangio wrong. That could be a hard sell for a coach that may have already made up his mind.
Add Comment