Eagles facing a CB2 nightmare their own free agent could have saved them from

Week 2 of the NFL preseason is a great time to evaluate fringe players for the 53-man roster, and maybe get a few starters some work if they need it.

It’s never a great time to spin the dial at a make or break position like No. 2 cornerback, but that was indeed the case for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and the Philadelphia Eagles in Saturday’s 22-13 preseason dud to the Cleveland Browns.

The Eagles opened the game with their top two candidates for the starting CB2 job — Kelee Ringo and Adoree Jackson — on the field together. On the next drive, after rookie QB Dillon Gabriel and the Browns marched 13 plays for a touchdown, the recently-acquired Jakorian Bennett entered the game. We saw different combinations throughout, with guys swapping sides of the field, and both Eli Ricks and rookie Mac McWilliams mixing in as well.

The final conclusion? Philly has no clear replacement for Darius Slay Jr. right now, and that, now less than three weeks away from the season opener, is a problem.

The Eagles should be regretting their decision to let CB Isaiah Rodgers walk in free agency

Philadelphia bid farewell to a number of impact starters on last year’s Super Bowl championship roster, and while some were easy to predict — like Josh Sweat and Milton Williams — others were a bit more surprising, like C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Kenneth Gainwell.

Count Rodgers, who joined the Eagles on a one-year deal for that 2024 season, on that latter list.

Based on Philly’s approach to the 2025 league year, there’s only one explanation for the team to let Rodgers walk. The veteran had a multi-year deal on the table from Minnesota, and the Eagles opted to pass on the term of that deal. It does make some sense when you consider the team never signed an outside free agent to more than a one-year deal this offseason.

The problem? Rodgers’ deal with the Vikings was for a modest $11 million over two seasons. He’s costing Minnesota less than $8 million in total guarantees, and he’s been a starting outside cornerback for defensive coordinator Brian Flores since the start of spring OTAs.

Is Rodgers an All-Pro corner in the making? Maybe not. But he was a key depth player for the Eagles who was on the field frequently during their playoff run. Rodgers was firmly ahead of Ringo on last year’s depth chart, and he probably would have been again this summer. While the Eagles mixed and matched on Saturday, Rodgers was resting with Minnesota’s other starters in their preseason game against the Patriots.

The Eagles are already backpedaling on their decision a bit by bringing in Bennett via trade this month. Perhaps he can ascend and take command of the role, but Philly’s decision to gamble on Ringo and pass on a solid (and reasonably priced) veteran is shaping up to be an easy second guess.