PHILADELPHIA -- NFL teams are reporting to training camp this week. The Philadelphia Eagles, who hit the field at the NovaCare Complex next Sunday (Aug. 2) are one of the last teams to start camp.
When they do, there will be a quarterback competition as well as a slew of new defensive players to watch come together. This week, as we count down to the start of camp, we'll take a look at some of the less obvious issues that will be addressed this summer. Today: the state of the defensive secondary.
Fixing the secondary was a major priority for coach Chip Kelly this offseason. Because of that, the Eagles committed $63 million to sign former Seattle cornerback Byron Maxwell.
As significant as that move was, the Eagles did not land another cornerback or a starting safety in free agency. Well, they did sign nickel cornerback Walter Thurmond, a former Seahawk who missed most of last season with the Giants. After free agency and the draft, the Eagles asked Thurmond to move to safety.
Through organized team activities and the mandatory minicamp, the Eagles' starting secondary included Maxwell, Thurmond, Malcolm Jenkins at safety and Nolan Carroll at cornerback.
It seems very unlikely that will be the starting secondary when the season opens. If it is, then it will be very unlikely the secondary will be appreciably better than it was last season.
Second-round pick Eric Rowe is expected to focus on playing cornerback. Rowe will be given every chance to beat out Carroll for his starting job.
At safety, Earl Wolff and Jerome Couplin lead a contingent of contenders to send Thurmond back to cornerback.
Kelly wants a wide-open competition for those positions. On the offensive line, Kelly would prefer to set his lineup and let the starters play together as much as possible. At other spots, including the secondary, Kelly wants to use camp and the preseason to try different combinations and let the best players emerge.
One variable is where Maxwell plays. For two years, Cary Williams was the Eagles' right cornerback while Bradley Fletcher generally lined up on the defense's left side. That approach allowed opponents to dictate matchups -- when Dallas played the Eagles, Dez Bryant frequently lined up on the right side, across from Fletcher.
Eagles defensive coordinator Bill Davis indicated he might change that approach with Maxwell. With a shutdown cornerback, Davis can have Maxwell go wherever the opponent's best receiver goes. If Maxwell is shadowing Bryant or Odell Beckham Jr., that will take pressure off Carroll, Rowe or whomever the other cornerback is.
Maxwell can also play inside, so he could shadow elite receivers even if they line up in the slot.
Of course, all of that depends upon Maxwell being a true No. 1 cornerback. In Seattle, he was the No. 2 guy behind Richard Sherman. But that meant Maxwell frequently had to face the best receivers, since opponents schemed to keep their best players away from Sherman's side.
It will be fascinating to see how it all shakes out, and we'll start to get a glimpse when camp opens.