For every transaction, there is an equal and or opposite reaction. That may not be entirely true, but the NFL is a 12-month-a-year business, so any news is magnified more so than it should be. When the Philadelphia Eagles made a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders right before their first preseason games, something about the deal involving Jakorian Bennett and Thomas Booker caught my eye.
For the Raiders, they added a defensive lineman to help offset the deplorably bad loss of Christian Wilkins in the trenches only a few weeks ago. Booker was buried on the depth chart in Philadelphia, but in Las Vegas, he may get his opportunity. As for what Howie Roseman did to acquire Bennett from the Silver and Black, it tells me everything about the state of the other starting cornerback position.
Quinyon Mitchell may have CB1 locked down, but this trade for Bennett signifies that Roseman either does not trust Kelee Ringo and Adoree' Jackson, or he does not value them as much. Adding Bennett to the mix brings even more competition to a potential vulnerability in the Eagles defense to question. Bennett went one spot ahead of Ringo in the 2023 NFL Draft. Jackson just arrived in NFL free agency.
Martin Frank of the Delaware News Journal did a great job of explaining the fallout of this noted trade.
Kelee Ringo and Adoree' Jackson will be pressed by Jakorian Bennett now
Just because the Eagles won the Super Bowl last year does not mean they will cake walk back to it again this year. Although they are my favorite to come out of the NFC this season, we have seen first-hand how difficult it is for even the best teams to repeat as champions most years. Kansas City did it recently. While Florida just did it over in the NHL, the NBA is chock full of parity now, and so is MLB...
What I am getting at is Roseman does not want a potential area of weakness to get worse and fester on his loaded roster. Ringo may still be on a rookie contract, but Jackson has been around the block before in his NFL career out of USC. He may have lost his starting job elsewhere last season, but he gets to play for a far better team in the Eagles now. Bennett also seems to have leveled up with team.
Overall, Ringo and Jackson were mega talents at their respective college football powers, but for whatever reason, their games have not translated as seamlessly to the NFL as we all originally though they would. Ringo can be a bit handsy. Maybe Jackson's athleticism has always been a bit overstated. As for Bennett, he comes to a place who wants him, hoping to make an impact in the playoffs as well.
Roseman may love to draft former Georgia players, but he has never been afraid to replace one either.