The Philadelphia Eagles could be an ideal landing spot for a two-time Pro Bowl cornerback.
As suggested by Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder, the Eagles could make sense as a landing spot for veteran cornerback . Holder brings up how Philadelphia’s struggles in the secondary, particularly with the play of James Bradberry. Furthermore, Darius Slay has missed two games this year and has been on the injury report the past couple of weeks.
Holder argues that Hayward should be signed as an “emergency” option in case the Eagles continue to deal with injuries as they enter the postseason.
“The Eagles are thin at cornerback, as the depth chart is filled out by young, first- or second-year players,” writes Holder. “Also, James Bradberry hasn’t been playing particularly well this season, and Darius Slay has been on the injury report for the last two weeks. So, it would be a smart move to sign a veteran like Hayward in case of an emergency down the line.”
Hayward hasn’t appeared in a single game this season, but he played 11 seasons prior to this year, including notching two Pro Bowl berths (2016 and 2017) and two Second-team All-Pro berths while a member of the Los Angeles Chargers franchise. He also led the league in interceptions during the 2016 season.
While notching his second Pro Bowl bid during the 2017 season, he helped lead the Chargers to a major improvement in defense, going from the 29th-ranked defense in 2016 to the third-best defense in 2017. Los Angeles also ranked as the third-best pass defense during the 2017 season.
According to Pro Football Focus, Heyward was the best cornerback in the league during the 2017 season, posting a 91.1 defensive grade and 92.1 grade in coverage, the highest grades in each category at his position.