Why Eagles Can't Afford Another Revolving Door at Slot CB

The Philadelphia Eagles are likely moving on from the oft-injured Avonte Maddox and need to settle down their slot issues.

PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Eagles are planning to release veteran slot cornerback Avonte Maddox, according to an NFL source.

The decision isn’t about the organization’s dislike of Maddox’s skill set. And while the Pitt product’s impending $9.67M cap hit was a major contributing factor, injuries are where the rubber met the road.

BREAKING: Eagles Cut Avonte Maddox But Are 'Open to Reunion'

Set to enter the final year of a three-year, $22.5 million extension, had Maddox, 27, stayed healthy he likely would have been a candidate for another contract to lower the prohibitive cap number but the cliched “best ability is availability” is why Maddox has exited the team’s planning, at least for the moment.

There is some talk of a reunion not being out of the question if Maddox hits the open market and realizes the kind of deal he would like is not going to be there.

When healthy, the 5-foot-9, 184-pound Maddox has been one of the better slot CBs in the NFL since settling into that role with Philadelphia, showing the short-area quickness to handle option routes, a natural grasp on run fits, and a good feel for blitzing off the edge.

His release frees up $1.9M in cap space and could net even more if the Eagles want to move on with a post-June 1 designation, something that’s unlikely considering the potential talk of a reunion.

In some ways, Maddox plays too physically for his frame and has played in just 13 games over the past two seasons.

A torn pec in Week 2 last season limited Maddox to four regular-season games and the wild-card playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he played safety due to injuries to Reed Blankenship and Sydney Brown.

Maddox did not play well late in the season after perhaps pushing things a little too quickly when trying to make it back.

His value was highlighted by the sheer volume of players the Eagles rotated into the slot to try to slow the bleeding in Maddox’s absence, which was dizzying. 

His penciled-in backup, Zech McPhearson, has already torn his Achilles’ in the preseason sparking a revolving door of Mario Goodrich, James Bradberry, Bradley Roby, Josiah Scott, Brown, Eli Ricks, and even Darius Slay in some high-leverage spots.

Moving forward, the Eagles have an added body on hand in former Indianapolis CB Isaiah Rodgers, who was signed last season to a one-year, $1.1M flyer while serving a gambling suspension. Although the 5-10, 170-pound Rodgers played outside with the Colts, that was because of the presence of star slot Kenny Moore, and if/when he's reinstated he might be a candidate for slot work in Philadelphia, which already has solid young outside prospects in Kelee Ringo, Eli Ricks and Josh Jobe.

The Eagles took a flyer on CB Isaiah Rodgers while he was suspended for gambling / © Matt Pendleton, USA TODAY

McPhearson will also be back for the final year of his rookie deal coming off the Achilles.

New defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is likely going to be savvy enough to keep Ricks on the outside but Brown could still see some time in the slot with big nickel looks once he recovers from his torn ACL suffered in Week 18.

GM Howie Roseman admitted he needed to do a better job populating the position at the recent NFL scouting combine.

“We gave some guys opportunities to do it,” Roseman said. “I've got to do a better job of bringing in more guys to be able to play that position.”

Moore, 30, is a pending, unrestricted free agent with a Pro Football Focus valuation of two years with an average annual value of $6.75M while Maddox on a one-year prove-it deal for $7M would certainly seem palatable.

What can’t happen is another revolving door at one of the game’s most unheralded but important positions.