The Philadelphia Eagles created a $60 million hole in their secondary when they traded Byron Maxwell, along with Kiko Alonso and a season's worth of frustrations, to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for draft considerations. With Maxwell and his massive salary gone, the Eagles did what they could to shore up the cornerback position through free agency, agreeing to terms with a pair of players - Leodis McKelvin, Ron Brooks - who aren't exactly world beaters, but who both excelled under new Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz during Schwartz's time in Buffalo.
Even with the additions of McKelvin - a former first-round pick best suited for slot duty - and Brooks - a special teams maven who can contribute defensively, but probably shouldn't be counted on to start - work remained to upgrade the cornerback position prior to the 2016 NFL Draft.
Eagles GM/not GM Howie Roseman, never one to shy away from tweaking his roster, did just that on Tuesday, adding another name to the Philly acquisition ledger when he agreed to terms with versatile veteran cornerback Nolan Carroll.
Reports indicate the deal is for only one season and is worth $2.6 million with incentives that can bump that figure to $3 million, which was probably very much to the Eagles' liking, though not to Carroll's (he was happy enough to post an Insta about it).
A former fifth-round pick of the Miami Dolphins, Carroll joined the Eagles prior to the 2014 season. He earned a starting gig on the outside of then-coordinator Billy Davis' unit in his second season in midnight green, but was injured during a Thanksgiving Day game against the Detroit Lions and did not return after Week 11.
Carroll, one of those guys who works hard and does the little things necessary to stick in the league long-term, but who doesn't bring any one special attribute to his game, was surely aiming for a big payday on the NFL's open market. When that didn't materialize though, he and his agent likely reasoned that returning to the Eagles, a team he's already familiar with, on a one-year deal in order to try and nab a starting spot and upgrade his league-wide standing for a second crack at a lucrative free agent deal after 2016, was his best bet.
What will be interesting now for the Eagles is seeing how Schwartz utilizes his secondary pieces. At this point, the safety position is locked in with Pro Bowler Malcolm Jenkins and one of Roseman's pricier free agent acquisitions, Rodney McLeod, patrolling the backend.
At corner though, the situation is a bit murkier. Carroll, like McKelvin, has the ability to play inside and out. With second-year player Eric Rowe likely (though not assured) to fill one spot on the outside, that leaves the slot and second corner spot to be determined.
Last year's undrafted free agent JaCorey Shepherd is a player the team was said to have been very high on before he tore his ACL during preseason. There's no knowing how the new defensive staff will feel about him, but Shepherd will be in the mix for that inside spot along with Carroll, McKelvin and Brooks. Another former undrafted free agent, Denzel Rice, played well enough during the preseason to earn a roster spot for Chip Kelly's Eagles, so he's a name to watch as well, though again, Doug Pederson's staff could certainly feel very different about his skillset.
McKelvin, at age 30, is no longer the athletic phenom he was when the Bills drafted him in the first round in 2008. He never quite developed into the player he was supposed to be in Buffalo, but he's talented veteran insurance in case other younger options don't quite pan out. That being said, McKelvin hasn't played a full slate of 16 games since 2011 and managed just 32 tackles and 2 interceptions in nine games last season.
Carroll, one of the many Eagles defensive backs forced to put on a brave face as they suited up opposite Kelly's breakneck (and broken) offense, played relatively well in 2015, but not so well that you're comfortable calling him a starter no questions asked. 57 tackles and 2 interceptions in 11 games is a middling stat line and while he likely deserves another crack at a starting gig, the Eagles may be best served drafting at least one corner come April.
In the end, keeping Carroll was probably best for both the team and player, especially considering his injury. But at this point, there are no guarantees of what it means for the cornerback position or the 2016 Eagles defense.
