NFL Spin Zone
Fansided

Philadelphia Eagles: Devin McCourty, Byron Maxwell perfect combo

By Kevin Parvizi

facebooktwitterreddit

The Philadelphia Eagles desperately need to add some talent at the skill positions after trading away LeSean McCoy, as their best player last season, No. 1 receiver Jeremy Maclin, will most likely hit unrestricted free agency. Maclin and the Eagles had positive talks for the better part of the offseason and seemed ready to drive to a deal, but it appears that Maclin will wisely head to the open market after betting on his post-injury form and putting together a career-year. The Eagles figure to have a great chance at re-signing their top priority on offense, but Maclin can surely sap out some more cash from them.

While Maclin will be one of the team’s points of focus on offense this offseason, the Eagles also have to revamp their defense. They saved plenty of cap by cutting ties with Cary Williams, but they also lost a decent corner in the process. At this point in time, they are clearly lacking in the secondary, as they need at least one outside cornerback and could use a new safety partner for 2014 revelation Malcolm Jenkins, who bounced back in a big way in his first season in Philly.

More from Philadelphia Eagles

Trent Cole‘s release and Brandon Graham‘s entrance into free agency also leaves a hole in the pass rushing department, but the secondary figures to be the team’s primary focus on defense. Seattle Seahawks cornerback Byron Maxwell has been heavily linked to the Eagles for quite some time, but another star defensive back has emerged as someone the Eagles are prioritizing.

Yesterday, NBC’s excellent Dianna Marie Russini reported that the Eagles have New England Patriots elite free safety Devin McCourty “high” on their wishlist and will “pursue” the well-rounded DB, who once starred at corner for the Patriots, when he inevitably hits the free agent market.

It once looked like there would be no chance of McCourty hitting the open market, because it seemed like the Patriots were guaranteed to franchise him. However, with the Darrelle Revis contract situation still unclear, the Patriots simply didn’t have the money to franchise him and instead used the tag on elite kicker Stephen Gostkowski.

Of course, an elite safety is better than an elite kicker, and it looks like the Patriots will lose out on one of their most important players with so many teams potentially lined up to make D-Mac a very rich man. McCourty is such an attractive target because his skill-set minimizes the chances of him being a free-agent bust. He’s versatile; he doesn’t miss tackles; he plays the run well; and he’s one of the best safeties in the game in coverage due to his speed, instincts, and ball skills.

Teams rarely ever test McCourty in coverage, and he can snuff out a prolific deep passing attack on his own. We saw that twice last season, as T.Y. Hilton and the Indianapolis Colts could not get anything going against the Patriots thanks to McCourty’s consistently tight coverage. He allows the players in front of him more freedom, so physical corners can be more physical and in-the-box safeties like Patrick Chung can play to their strengths.

If the Eagles decide to sign McCourty, then he’ll be well-worth the money, and there’s no chance he’ll end up busting a la Chung, who was badly miscast by Chip Kelly as a coverage safety. McCourty is a coverage safety, and he and Jenkins can form one of the league’s best duos. Both players are former corners, and both have the ability to make an impact against the pass and run. That means the Eagles won’t have to specifically divide FS and SS duties, which will make the secondary even more stable and more difficult to attack.

After parting ways with McCoy, Cole, and Williams, the Eagles have a copious amount of cap space and can easily afford several splash signings this offseason. For as steady of a safety as McCourty is, he would qualify as a splash signing, especially for a team that allowed 30 passing touchdowns, picked off just 12 passes, allowed 25 points per game, and were once again in the bottom-half of the league in pass defense.

Brandon Boykin, Nolan Carroll, and Jenkins are three solid defensive backs, but the Philadelphia Eagles have the cap space to eye an elite secondary. McCourty is the best impending free agent among all the defensive backs, but the Eagles biggest need is at corner.

They could go in several directions, including the draft, but many believe that they will go after another top free agent in Maxwell, who will also be the subject of a huge bidding war. The Eagles have plenty of money, but they should still be careful not to overpay Maxwell. However, the Seahawks CB had an excellent 2013 season, was even more impressive than Richard Sherman in the 2014 playoffs, and has been picked on plenty of times as the No. 2 corner on the ‘Hawks, especially since everyone knows where he and Sherman will line up.

The Eagles could really use a physical, outside corner with Maxwell’s tools, and he would definitely bring something new to the table for this defense. Again, he was solid last season and was one of the NFL’s best corners the year before, so he can slot in as the Eagles No. 1 cornerback.

However, to minimize any “bust” risk and to allow Maxwell room to be physical with receivers, it would be best to sign McCourty and Maxwell at the same time. That’s a huge financial investment and is a bit of a pipe dream considering how much money both players will cost, but if anyone can do it, then it’s the Eagles. They have the cap and need, and they would immediately have an elite secondary on their hands.

Sep 14, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty (32) returns an interception during the first quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium. at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

I view Maxwell as a similar-caliber player to former Patriots and current Denver Broncos CB Aqib Talib, who is a physical corner and benefited greatly from having McCourty’s security behind him.

It makes plenty of sense for the Eagles to sign Maxwell, since they desperately need an outside corner like him, and it also makes plenty of sense for them to add McCourty, who does everything well, rarely misses up, and shores up deep coverage so well that it would allow the team to have plenty of freedom in front of him.

Both of these players are excellent fits to what we think is the Eagles philosophy on defense, since Maxwell is a physical press corner who can lock it up with almost any receiver, while McCourty can take away a downfield passing attack while also making clean tackles in space.

Pursuing this duo is something the Eagles need to attempt in free agency, since the payoff could turn them into a juggernaut, especially with the addition of high-upside coverage LB Kiko Alonso.

The Eagles are looking to get more talented and versatile on defense, and Maxwell and McCourty are players who can help the rest of this team fall into place. They’ll also need to sign a pass rusher, but these upgrades in the secondary seem too good to pass up on.

Next: The Aftermath of a Shady Deal

More from NFL Spin Zone

Home/Philadelphia Eagles