Eagles Fill a Slot
Posted: October 3rd, 2023 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 3 Comments »The Eagles had a deep group of cornerbacks coming into the season. They had a good mixture of youth and veterans. There was a lot of talent. There was just one hole, the backup in the slot. So naturally Avonte Maddox, the starting nickelback, got hurt.
The coaches moved James Bradberry inside and put Josh Jobe outside for the past couple of games. That delivered mixed results. The front office decided to make a move on Tuesday.
#Eagles are expected to sign CB Bradley Roby to their practice squad, an NFL source.
He’ll still need to get in game shape, learn the defense and may be elevated to the 53-man roster at some point, likely to help in the slot.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) October 3, 2023
Roby is 31. He’s played 126 games in his career. He’s got okay size at 5-11, 194.
Most importantly, he can play in the slot or outside.
Bradley Roby has played a lot in the slot. His slot snaps & percentages, via @PFF
22 (NOR): 306 (48.7%)
21 (NOR): 118 (29.9%)
20 (HOU): 61 (10.0%)
19 (HOU): 249 (31.2%)
18 (DEN): 130 (14.0%)
17 (DEN): 77 (11.4%)
16 (DEN): 106 (15.5%)
15 (DEN): 163 (20.8%)
14 (DEN): 357 (42.0%)— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroNBCS) October 3, 2023
The Eagles have struggled in coverage this year. Only two teams have allowed more TD passes, the Bears and Broncos. Yikes. Those are two teams you don’t want to be compared to. Opposing QBs have a rating of 99.5 against the Eagles this year, which puts them down at 26th. Not ideal.
Injuries and youth have caused Sean Desai to put some flawed lineups on the field. Adding Roby can help. That will give the team an experienced player in the slot and allow Slay and Bradberry to stay outside. That is the best lineup for the Eagles right now.
As Jeff pointed out in his tweet, Roby will need a little time to get ready. It would be great to have him when going against the Rams, but he’ll probably wait a week or so to get on the field.
We have seen promise from some of the young DBs. Josh Jobe is tough and physical. He will battle. He’s got a short memory and doesn’t panic after he’s beaten. I can see Jobe as a future starter. Sydney Brown has flashed at safety and in the slot. The coaches probably like him long term at safety, but could get him slot reps this week. We’ll see if he’s healthy enough to play.
It can take time for coaches and players to come together on pass coverage and get everything synced up. The Eagles defense is off to a rough start, but I think they have the pieces to make this work.
*****
The DTs are playing at a high level now. Jalen Carter continues to play at a make his presence felt.
#NFL DTs in 2023…
Average Pass Rush Get-Off
0.77 . . . Chris Jones (KC)
0.78 . . . Jalen Carter (#Eagles)
0.82 . . . Aaron Donald (LAR)Pressures
22 . . . Javon Hargrave (SF)
21 . . . Jalen Carter (#Eagles)
19 . . . Aaron Donald (LAR)Pressure Rate
21.2% . . . Jalen Carter… pic.twitter.com/WswWACpZKJ— John Gonoude (@john_gonoude) October 3, 2023
He just missed a sack on Sunday, but was disruptive at times.
Don’t forget about Fletcher Cox. He was outstanding against Washington.
https://twitter.com/EaglesXOs/status/1709276013446697357
It is crazy to think he was drafted in 2012 and continues to play at a high level.
*****
One player I’m very happy for is LB Nick Morrow. He got a lot of criticism this spring and summer. Morrow signed to the practice squad after he was cut. Then he got promoted and he’s taken advantage of his chance to play.
Highest Pro Football Focus LB grades for 2023 [minimum 100 snaps]
89.4 … Roquan Smith [Ravens]
84.9 … Nicholas Morrow [Eagles]
83.7 … Nate Landman [Falcons]
83.3 … Jack Gibbens [Titans]
83.0 … Quincy Williams [Jets]— Reuben Frank (@RoobNBCS) October 2, 2023
I don’t put a lot of stock in those grades, but even if they are close, it is a sign of how well Morrow is playing right now. He had the safety in Tampa. He had 3 sacks against Washington. Morrow is making plays, which is what you want at LB.
Zach Cunningham is the reliable tackler and run defender. Together they have formed a better LB duo than any of us would have expected.
https://twitter.com/AidanDoc_/status/1709231034867347924
Another good job by Howie Roseman and his staff to find cheap help at a position where the Eagles are willing to take a chance.
_
[…] Las águilas llenan un espacio – Iggles BlitzLos Eagles han tenido problemas en cobertura este año. Sólo dos equipos han permitido más pases de touchdown, los Bears y los Broncos. Vaya. Esos son dos equipos con los que no quieres que te comparen. Los mariscales de campo rivales tienen una calificación de 99,5 contra los Eagles este año, lo que los sitúa en el puesto 26. No es ideal. Las lesiones y la juventud han provocado que Sean Desai coloque algunas alineaciones defectuosas en el campo. Agregar a Roby puede ayudar. Eso le dará al equipo un jugador experimentado en el puesto y permitirá que Slay y Bradberry permanezcan afuera. Esa es la mejor alineación de los Eagles en este momento. Como Jeff señaló en su tweet, Roby necesitará un poco de tiempo para prepararse. Sería genial tenerlo cuando enfrente a los Rams, pero probablemente esperará aproximadamente una semana para entrar al campo. Hemos visto promesas en algunos de los jóvenes DB. Josh Jobe es duro y físico. Él peleará. Tiene poca memoria y no entra en pánico después de ser golpeado. Puedo ver a Jobe como un futuro titular. Sydney Brown ha brillado en la seguridad y en la ranura. A los entrenadores probablemente les guste a largo plazo como safety, pero podrían conseguirle repeticiones esta semana. Veremos si está lo suficientemente sano para jugar. […]
[…] Eagles Fill a Slot – Iggles BlitzThe Eagles have struggled in coverage this year. Only two teams have allowed more TD passes, the Bears and Broncos. Yikes. Those are two teams you don’t want to be compared to. Opposing QBs have a rating of 99.5 against the Eagles this year, which puts them down at 26th. Not ideal. Injuries and youth have caused Sean Desai to put some flawed lineups on the field. Adding Roby can help. That will give the team an experienced player in the slot and allow Slay and Bradberry to stay outside. That is the best lineup for the Eagles right now. As Jeff pointed out in his tweet, Roby will need a little time to get ready. It would be great to have him when going against the Rams, but he’ll probably wait a week or so to get on the field. We have seen promise from some of the young DBs. Josh Jobe is tough and physical. He will battle. He’s got a short memory and doesn’t panic after he’s beaten. I can see Jobe as a future starter. Sydney Brown has flashed at safety and in the slot. The coaches probably like him long term at safety, but could get him slot reps this week. We’ll see if he’s healthy enough to play. […]
[…] Eagles Fill a Slot – Iggles BlitzThe Eagles have struggled in coverage this year. Only two teams have allowed more TD passes, the Bears and Broncos. Yikes. Those are two teams you don’t want to be compared to. Opposing QBs have a rating of 99.5 against the Eagles this year, which puts them down at 26th. Not ideal. Injuries and youth have caused Sean Desai to put some flawed lineups on the field. Adding Roby can help. That will give the team an experienced player in the slot and allow Slay and Bradberry to stay outside. That is the best lineup for the Eagles right now. As Jeff pointed out in his tweet, Roby will need a little time to get ready. It would be great to have him when going against the Rams, but he’ll probably wait a week or so to get on the field. We have seen promise from some of the young DBs. Josh Jobe is tough and physical. He will battle. He’s got a short memory and doesn’t panic after he’s beaten. I can see Jobe as a future starter. Sydney Brown has flashed at safety and in the slot. The coaches probably like him long term at safety, but could get him slot reps this week. We’ll see if he’s healthy enough to play. […]