Philadelphia Eagles: 5 players who must improve
3. Sidney Jones
Patrick Robinson might have been the Eagle to take the most financial advantage of winning a Super Bowl last year. He parlayed his excellent season for Philadelphia into a big money contract with the Seattle Seahawks this offseason.
Fortunately, the Eagles already have his replacement on the roster. They spent a second round selection on Jones in the 2017 draft only to lose him to injury after one regular season game. Provided he can return to full health, Jones figures to get a good shot at replacing Robinson.
He’s got the talent and size to handle any slot receiver who lines up on the other side of the ball. It’s even possible that Jones can line up and handle move tight ends on a regular basis. The Eagles drafted him to be a conventional outside corner, but need should see him move inside this year. It’s even possible he could develop into an upgrade over Robinson due to his versatility.
The team doesn’t need Jones to be great. They simply need him to hold up against slot receivers on a regular basis. The Eagles’ defensive scheme is set up to give him plenty of safety help against difficult matchups. Jones simply needs to step up and make sure he isn’t the weak link of the Eagles defense in 2018.