Eagles' CB Competition Is The Real Deal

Isaiah Rodgers, Kelee Ringo, and Quinyon Mitchell have all gotten first-team looks at RCB.

Eagles CB Kelee Ringo / John McMullen/Eagles on SI

PHILADELPHIA - Through three practices the scorecard reads 2 to 1 with second-year cornerback Kelee Ringo leading Isaiah Rodgers in the race to win the starting job opposite Darius Slay on the Eagles' defense.

Assuming Vic Fangio’s mindset can be boiled down to who takes the first rep at practice is foolish, however.

The Eagles’ veteran defensive coordinator is a mad scientist who admits he likes to throw a lot at his players early to ascertain how much they can handle.

To date, Ringo, Rodgers and rookie first-round pick Quinyon Mitchell have all gotten first-team reps at RCB and they’ve all also gotten work on the other side behind Slay. Mitchell has even gotten inside snaps as a first-teamer as well and in dime packages.

On Saturday, even second-year player Eli Ricks joined the first-team rep club, spelling Slay on the left side for a few plays during a steamy morning at the NovaCare Complex.  

“Shoot, we're all teammates at the end of the day,” Ringo said after practice Saturday. “We just want to continue to help each other get better. I feel like that's our main focus, just, help each other get better, bring out the best of each other, especially (because) we’re all competitive.”

Rodgers, returning off a lost year due to suspension, is also embracing the competition.

“It’s good,” he said. “... Everybody just got to come in, you got to be in your playbook, and it makes you watch film because you don't want to (leave) any stuff behind. You just want to keep working. Keep your head down and just understand that's the competition at the end of the day.”

There was good and bad for both players on Day 3. The bad came courtesy of star receiver DeVonta Smith. Ringo got Moss’d by Smith on a 50/50 ball during a competitive period but the catch was ultimately waived off when quarterback Jalen Hurts was ruled to have been sacked. The recption, though, was the highlight of the practice.

"DeVonta is a great player, man," said Ringo. "I had great position and it's good on good. So sometimes you win some, you lose some. It's next play type of mentality."

Smith wasn't playing favorites and got Rodgers in a one-on-one period, dusting the cornerback on a go route and hauling in an over-the-shoulder throw from Hurts.

For now, if there were a betting line Ringo might be the slight favorite over Rodgers but Mitchell may be the closest to guaranteed Week 1 work, albeit with more on an inside tint.

It was notable that Mitchell matched up with A.J. Brown in one-on-ones for both of his reps and that Fangio has gein the No. 22 overall pick work at all three corner positions as a second inside DB defender in dime looks.

“Just play,” Fangio said of the competition. “You know, usually when you have battles going on and it's time to make a decision, the players make the decision for you, and everybody sees it. It's rare that it's so tight that everybody is waiting for who the coaches pick. It becomes obvious. Hopefully it will become obvious here -- through somebody's really good play and not somebody's bad play. 

“So, it will define itself out.”

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