As Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder suggested, the Eagles could be a reasonable landing spot for veteran cornerback Casey Hayward. Holder outlines what Philadelphia looks like in the secondary, especially with the play of James Bradberry.
Additionally, Darius Slay has missed two games this year and has been on the injury report for the past two weeks. Holder argues that Hayward should be signed as an “emergency” in case the Eagles continue to deal with injuries early in the season. ”
The Eagles are thin at corner because the depth chart is loaded with young, first- or second-year players,” Holder writes. “Also, James Bradberry hasn’t played very well this season, and Darius Slay has been on the injury report the last two weeks.
So it would make sense to get a veteran like Hayward in an emergency.” Casey Heyward was once the top-rated cornerback in the NFL Hayward did not play in a game this season, but before this year, he played 11 seasons, including two Pro Bowl spots (2016 and 2017) and two second-team All-Pro selections, while a member of the Los Angeles Chargers. . concession He also led the league in shutouts during the 2016 season.
Earning his second Pro Bowl bid during the 2017 season, he helped significantly improve the Chargers’ defense, going from the 29th best defense in 2016 to the third best defense in 2017. Los Angeles also finished third . best pass defense in the 2017 season.
According to Pro Football Focus, Heyward was the league’s best cornerback in 2017, posting a 91.1 defensive grade and a 92.1 coverage grade, the highest marks at his position in each category. Why should the Eagles sign CB Casey Heyward? In comparison, the Eagles’ top draft picks received significantly worse grades this season.
Slay posted a 68.4 defensive rating while Bradberry struggled, posting a 55.4 defensive rating this season, 94th out of 119 cornerbacks in the NFL. Thanks to the struggles of the pass defense — 28th in yards, 31st in passing — the unit ranks 26th in points per game.
That’s a sharp drop from eighth in the NFL in points allowed last season and from leading the league in passing yards allowed. While Heyward may not be the difference maker he was early in his career, he is still a solid pick.
In fact, it was just two years ago that he posted a 76.0 defensive grade and 75.0 in coverage. Those points are way higher than any cornerback on the Eagles team.
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