Eagles Trade Could Make Cooper DeJean Full-Time On Outside
Vic Fangio has been reluctant to move Cooper DeJean to outside cornerback on a full-time basis because of how well he plays in the slot. Now, the Eagles' defensive coordinator may make that move after his general manager landed nickel cornerback Michael Carter from the New York Jets on Wednesday afternoon, with the trade deadline still six days away.
“We considered it,” said Fangio when asked if they thought of making DeJean a full-time outside cornerback.
The problem has been who to put into the slot if such a move were to be made.
“When you have one of the better players at a certain position, and it's an important position where you get involved more, you hate to take a really good player at one position to maybe not be as good of a player or impactful of a player at another position, but it's definitely something that we've talked about,” said the DC.
To land Carter, Howie Roseman sent receiver John Metchie and a 2027 sixth-round pick to New York for the slot corner and a 2027 seventh-round selection. This is the second time Metchie has been traded in the past two-plus months.
John Metchie's Role Never Developed
His role never materialized after Roseman sent tight end Harrison Bryant and a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Texans for Metchie and a 2026 sixth-rounder on Aug. 17. The receiver played in just four games, getting 22 offensive snaps. He made four catches for 18 yards.
Carter was considered one of the best slots corners in the NFL as recently as 2023, but he has battled injuries since then. He sustained a concussion in Week 4 that forced him to miss four games. He returned to the lineup last week but played just six defensive snaps.
He missed a handful of games in 2024 with a back injury. He suffered a high ankle sprain during training camp also that summer.
The addition of Carter doesn't guarantee he will become an instant starter in the slot. The Eagles are expected to activate Jakorian Bennett off injured reserve and Adoree Jackson could be ready to return after the bye from a concussion that forced him to miss last week's game against the Giants.
The Jets and their general manager at the time, Joe Douglas, selected Carter in the fifth round out of Duke in 2021. Douglas, now with the Eagles, signed him to a three-year contract extension that runs through 2026 but has a salary cap hit of $12.25 million.
As for DeJean, Fangio talked about how lucky the Eagles were to have him, not only for his talent but his versatility.
“We got very lucky that he lasted till the middle of the second round,” he said. “I think the reason he did is because he only played corner in college, at least his last year. I don't think everybody was sure [if he] was he a first-round corner, second-round corner, third-round corner. I don't think the league as a whole had a feel for his versatility because he didn't play it in college.
“He's really a damn good nickel. Probably one of the best nickels in the league, and we're playing him at corner in the base. He could play safety if we needed him to. He's a defensive back, but really, he's just a good football player.”
The Raiders' Handling of Jakobi Meyers Has Caused a Stir
The Las Vegas Raiders must figure out what, if anything, to do with their top wide receiver, Jakobi Meyers.
Raiders Fumble Meyers Situation
Meyers requested a trade shortly before the season, but the Raiders turned him down. He restated the same desire heading into the Bye Week. Now, the Raiders have less than a week to decide. Raiders legend Lincoln Kennedy is not fond of how the Raiders have handled the whole thing.
“The situation with Jakobi is mishandled in many ways, because if they could have found a way to make it work, here is a receiver who’s already established himself as a receiver and can grow into this offense and be more productive if allowed,” Kennedy said on the Locked On Raiders podcast.
“We’ve seen flashes of it. We haven’t seen consistency, but we saw flashes of it… If we’re going to part ways with him, we’re really starting over again, and this goes back to my original point that I’ve been saying all year. You can’t keep starting over. You can’t keep starting over with new coaches and new players and expect to get anywhere because it just doesn’t happen overnight. You don’t walk onto the field and be like, ‘Oh, there’s my new number one.
“Because this offense hasn’t been consistent throughout the season, we’re still left holding whatever we’re holding in our hands, hoping that we can grip on and maybe get a win or get a collective offense. I don’t know how it happens overnight. That’s why I said this whole Jakobi Meyers thing has just been handled, really handled not well, in my opinion.”
The Raiders must make a decision soon on Meyers' future with the team as the trade deadline is fast approaching. Whether they keep Meyers or not, the addition of veteran wide receiver Tyler Lockett should help compensate for the loss of Meyers.
If the Raiders keep Meyers past the deadline, they will then have him, Lockett, and a healthier Brock Bowers in the mix moving forward. Still, Carroll noted it is too soon to make any assumptions.
"I'm going to need more days, as far as immediately, how much he can help. But he's a tremendous football player. He's got great background, great savvy play-making ability, a real natural sense about understanding how to play the game,” Carroll said.
“He and Brock [Bowers] and Jakobi [Meyers] share a lot of characteristics in how they play the game and how they make things happen and make it look effortless at times. And so, [Tyler] Lockett has been a great performer historically, and I'm thrilled to have him part of the program. I want to see how fast we can move the thing along, see if he can contribute."
