Much has been written this offseason about the Eagles biggest glaring weakness, their cornerback corps.
Ahead of practice at training camp Sunday, Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz answered questions from Philly media members almost exclusively surrounding the team’s secondary woes.
“We’re really on the corners aren’t we?” Schwartz said, seeming annoyed. Annoyed that the Eagles media is grilling him on cornerbacks? Or annoyed that the position is causing so much strife in the media and among fans?
When asked if the team had it’s two starers on the roster currently, Schwartz seemed to dance around the question and gave a reply that will not inspire confidence.
“I think that’s why we play the preseason games and practice,” the coach said.
The team has a combination of unproven youth, in players like Jalen Mills and C.J. Smith and unproven veterans in Patrick Robinson and Ron Brooks. None of the four has particularly stood out.
“Patrick has experience in the NFL and higher expectations for himself,” Schwartz said of Robinson as he was asked to comment on pretty much every cornerback in the locker room. Robinson now famously complained of his shortcomings in practice last week, saying he felt he was 25 percent of the way to where he wanted to be.
“It has slowed down for him (Smith) a little bit, as opposed to last year at this time,” Schwartz said of Smith, who has made plays in practice but hasn’t covered the Birds’ talented slew of wide receivers quite well enough to clinch a starting spot.
And then there’s Rasul Douglas, the big 6-foot-2 rookie out of West Virginia taken in the third round in April. Is he making a case to play?
“[He’s been] inconsistent,” Schwartz said. “I am sure he would answer the same way, he’s still trying to learn all the nuances of the game and the technique.”
“Somewhere along the line for Rasul the game will slow down.”
Is the answer to the Eagles cornerback questions on the field right now? Not even Jon Schwartz can answer that.
