The Philadelphia Eagles have yet to address their needs at the cornerback position this offseason, but there’s still plenty of time to do so.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report has put together a trade proposal that would allow them to add a promising young CB who could potentially grow into a successor to either Darius Slay or James Bradberry.
The depth behind Slay and Bradberry is shaky at best, and the latter of the two veteran cornerbacks is coming off a disappointing season. Bradberry allowed nine touchdowns in coverage last year, while finishing with just one interception.
Ballentine’s trade proposal would send current Cleveland Browns defensive back CB Greg Newsome II to Philadelphia in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick (No. 53 overall).
The Eagles Need to Get Younger at CB
Ballentine’s primary reason for believing Newsome could be a sneaky-good add for the Eagles is a solid one: The team needs to find younger corners with Slay and Bradberry both over 30.
“Cap constraints most likely forced the Eagles to stick with both veterans, but finding successors is a big piece of the offseason puzzle that hasn’t been completed,” Ballentine wrote on March 27, adding:
“An alternative to drafting one that may or may not take some time to adapt to the league would be trading for a younger corner on a cheap deal. Greg Newsome is on the fourth year of his rookie contract. The Browns have a fifth-year option, but his 2024 salary is just $2.4 million.”
Ballentine also believes the Browns may be willing to part with the young defensive back due to the makeup of their current CBs room.
“Newsome doesn’t have much ball production (two interceptions in three years), but he has never given up a passer rating above 85.6 in a single season,” he wrote. “The Browns already have a lot of money invested in Denzel Ward and Martin Emerson was even better than Newsome last season. That might make him the odd man out as the Browns won’t be able to pay all three down the line and they don’t have a lot of draft capital in this year’s event.”
Greg Newsome II Could Be a Solid Add for a Team Like the Philadelphia Eagles
A first-round pick out of Northwestern for the Browns in 2021, Newsome has started 39 games for the Browns over his three seasons in the league. Still just 23 (he’ll be 24 in May), he’s young and has the potential to grow into a solid starter.
After failing to haul in an interception over his first two years in the NFL, Newsome changed that last season.
In 14 games (13 starts) last year, Newsome finished with 49 total tackles (four for loss), 0.5 sacks, a quarterback hit, 14 pass breakups, two interceptions and a defensive touchdown. The 6-foot, 192-pound corner has suffered multiple concussions over his three seasons in the league, so that’s something to consider.
Philly addressed its needs at safety by bringing C.J. Gardner-Johnson back on a three-year deal worth up to $33 million. We’ll see what they do to add depth to the CBs room.
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