NFC East Notes: Eagles, Hicks, Giants

This is a make-or-break season for Eagles linebacker Jordan Hicks, as Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia writes. Hicks is entering the final year of his rookie contract and he’ll have to prove himself after finishing two of his three NFL seasons on IR.

In 31 career games, Hicks has seven interceptions, making him one of just four linebackers who have at least seven interceptions in the last three seasons. He joins Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis, and Ryan Shazier as ‘backers with that distinction, and yet he has played in less games than all of them.

Despite his accomplishments, the Eagles are likely wary about overcommitting to him given his injury history. In college, Hicks suffered a groin injury (2012) and an Achilles tear (2013). Then, in the NFL, he suffered a torn pectoral muscle (2015) and another torn Achilles (2017).

If Hicks continues to perform at a high level and can turn in a full NFL season, he could be in line for a lucrative new deal. The Eagles have shown a willingness to do major extensions during the year – such as the deal they completed with Alshon Jeffery last December – so Hicks could secure his future with the Eagles before the calendar flips to 2019.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

• The Eagles signed linebacker Corey Nelson in March with the notion that he would compete for a starting job. However the odds of that happening seem slim as both Kamu Grugier-Hill and Nate Gerry have leapfrogged him on the depth chart, so Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com projects that he will be released before the final cut in September. If the Eagles release Nelson, they’ll save $1MM against the cap.
• Shorr-Parks also writes that offensive guard Chance Warmack could be left off of the final roster, despite signing a one-year extension with the Eagles last fall that has a base value of $2.5MM with a max value of $5MM. Warmack, a former top-10 draft pick, does not offer much versatility and hasn’t been performing well at the guard position this summer.
• Giants wide receiver/kick returner Kalif Raymond is having as good of a training camp as anyone as he pushes to make the team, Art Stapleton of the Bergen Record writes. Drops have hurt Raymond as a returner and receiver with both New York teams, but he purchased his own JUGS machine this year in order to improve his concentration and execution. The hard work is paying off, and Raymond has a shot at making the cut despite the Giants’ depth at wide receiver.