Not that it's any surprise, but Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio confirmed that he would like Cooper DeJean to stay in the slot after a spectacular rookie season in which the Iowa product proved to be the best nickel cornerback in the NFL.
A long-time Philadelphia Phillies fan, Fangio discussed his thoughts with NBC Sports Philadelphia's John Clark before watching his favorite baseball team beat the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday.
“I really like him as the nickel. I’d like to see him stay at nickel," Fangio said. "He plays it very well. He’s got good size in there. I think he enjoys playing in that position.“
Thoughts of moving DeJean to the outside stem from the fact that the team's personnel department scouted him as an outside-the-numbers option coming out of Iowa as the 40th overall selection in the NFL Draft, coupled with the loss of six-time Pro Bowl CB Darius Slay, who was a salary-cap casualty before signing with Pittsburgh.
However, GM Howie Roseman's roster building this offseason had already foreshadowed the desire to keep DeJean in the slot moving forward.
The Eagles are projecting talented third-year player Kelee Ringo, a natural outside CB at 6-foot-2 and 207 pounds with 4.36 speed, to take the next step. The team also signed proven veteran Adoree' Jackson as an insurance policy.
DeJean was spectacular in his rookie season, taking over the starting slot in Week 5 and being graded as the No. 1 CB in the entire NFL per Pro Football Focus. He also finished fourth in the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.
DeJean finished with 50 tackles, 6 pass breakups, 3 fumble recoveries, and 1 forced fumble in his first NFL regular season. In the playoffs, DeJean added 18 tackles, 4 PBUs, and a fumble recovery en route to a Super Bowl LIX championship. He also recorded his first professional interception in the big game, picking off Patrick Mahomes and returning it 38 yards for a touchdown
