Eagles' latest attempt to patch up secondary with former Cowboys rival should be disastrous
By Jerry Trotta
In the standings, there's nothing to separate the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, who are widely regarded as two of the three best teams in the NFC. Both squads are 2-0, but it's apparent the Cowboys look like the better side.
That's no shot at the Eagles, who still have an incredibly talented roster. However, the team's injury luck from last season is already catching up.
While Philly's offense has stayed relatively healthy, the defense has been hit with a cavalcade of injuries. Starting cornerback James Bradberry and safety Reed Blankenship missed Week 2 with a concussion and rib injury, respectively, while linebacker Nakobe Dean is out indefinitely with an ankle injury.
On Thursday night, the Eagles lost slot corner Avonte Maddox to a torn pec and his prospects to return this season are slim, at best.
Desperate for reinforcements, Philly worked out free agent corner William Jackson III, whom Cowboys fans might remember from his days in Washington.
Sources: Former #Commanders CB William Jackson III is working out for the #Eagles today.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) September 19, 2023
Jackson’s a sub-4.4 corner who I’m told is fully healthy after enduring a bulging disk in his back last season. pic.twitter.com/9LV8k1TK1H
Eagles working out William Jackson III is great news for the Cowboys.
Jackson demanded a trade out of Washington last season after he was benched for poor performance. The veteran cornerback attributed his struggles to a bulging disk in his neck and denied the trade request. Seemingly destined to get cut, the Steelers swooped in at the eleventh hour and bailed out the Commanders by acquiring Jackson for a late-round pick swap.
An ascending man corner early in his career with the Bengals, Jackson has experienced a steep decline over the last two seasons.
In 2022, Jackson produced a lowly 48.9 coverage grade, per Pro Football Focus. He allowed a whopping 13.7 yards per catch, a 149.8 passer rating when targeted, and 16 catches on 19 targets to go with four penalties.
It's admittedly only a five-game sample size, but there's little evidence to suggest Jackson will rebound with the Eagles.
In 2021, Jackson allowed a 58.5% completion rate when targeted, but QBs still had a 95.1 passer rating when targeting him and completed 11.7 yards per catch. He also had eight penalties. He started 12 games that year.
#Eagles DB Avonte Maddox will have surgery this week to repair a torn pec, sources say after an MRI and additional opinions. The injury will keep him out indefinitely, potentially for the season.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 18, 2023
Howie Roseman is arguably the best in the business, but it's clear the Eagles general manager is grasping at straws working out Jackson. The idea of Philly adding another first-round pick to their stacked defense might scare Cowboys fans, but Jackson is a shell of the player he was early in his career.
In two games against Dallas the last two years, Jackson has allowed a combined 120 yards, one touchdown and a 77.4% completion rate.
Desperate times call for desperate measures and the Eagles reek of desperation.
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