Eagles Secondary A Major Concern

     Friday night told us a lot about the Eagles. Offensively they look as strong if not stronger than last season. Zach Ertz seems to have taken his game to another level this year. Showing off his strong hands in the end zone where Foles hit Ertz on a comeback route for a touchdown. Although the offense seems to be progressing, the defense still seems to be struggling to defend the pass game. Carry Williams had the highlight of the game intercepting Tom Brady and taking it all the way for a 77 yard touchdown. Williams had been in the headlines the entire week because of his comments about the Patriots being "Cheaters". The first team defense had its ups and downs, a lot of yards given up like last year, but when opportunities struck to turn the tide of the game, the defense always seems to be able to grab that. When the opposing offense gets things going though, the defense looks catastrophic. Curtis Marsh and Roc Carmichael got a lot of reps with the first team due to injuries to Brandon Boykin and Nolan Carroll. They did little to comfort the Eagles that there is depth in the secondary. Marsh struggled to stay with the receivers after press coverage, he was way to grabby and had very sloppy technique. Carmichael has been a disappointment  this preseason after having a strong few games starting last year when Bradley Fletcher was injured. He just seems to lack the athleticism to say with some of the receivers. The Eagles need Nolan Carroll more than we know. If there is more than one injury to the corners, the Eagles will most likely have to go to a player that isn't on the team now, that is of course if rookie Jaylen Watkins doesn't continue to progress and surprise some people this season. 

     Jaylen Watkins did not play against the Patriots due to a injury he suffered at practice. His first game against the Bears Watkins recorded his first interception after getting beat by a 72 yard touchdown. He showed great poise and confidence after what was just a beat down of a play for Watkins. He has shown improvement within each practice and has gained the respect of veterans such as Carry Williams and Brandon Boykin. 

Point is I have all the confidence in this defense which has a lot of upside, but all realistic fans know there is still a long way to go and it starts in the secondary. Watkins and Boykin are the building blocks to the future starters where Carry Williams and Fletcher may just be stops in the road.