Browns S Ronnie Hickman Could Earn Starting Job
Early this morning, Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal previewed some opinions of players who could have breakout seasons for the Browns in 2025. One of these players was third-year safety Ronnie Hickman, whom Easterling believes has a chance to lock down a starting job in training camp. 
Hickman came to Cleveland as an undrafted free agent out of Ohio State after forgoing his senior season with the Buckeyes. Despite his undrafted status, Hickman made the initial 53-man roster as a rookie and started four games in place of an injured Juan Thornhill late in the year. Last year, Hickman led the Browns in snaps aligned at safety, starting five more games for an injured Thornhill and getting plenty of time on the field in games he didn’t start.
Thornhill is gone now, having departed for Pittsburgh in free agency, so naturally, it seemed like there was going to be an opportunity for Hickman to firmly take the starting job. That was before the team signed two safeties on May 12 with extensive starting experience. Damontae Kazee signed with 63 starts in eight years with the Falcons, Cowboys, and Steelers. He’s also tallied 17 interceptions over that time, including a seven-pick performance that led the league in 2018. Rayshawn Jenkins comes in with 89 starts in eight years with the Chargers, Jaguars, and Seahawks, including five seasons in which he served as a full-time starter.
It would certainly make perfect sense for either veteran to fill in the starting role next to Grant Delpit in the upcoming season, but Hickman comes in with plenty of familiarity of the role, having shared it with Thornhill for much of last year. So far, it seems as if it’s his job to lose, forcing Jenkins and Kazee to beat him out of the spot.
The three other players highlighted by Easterling were wide receiver Kaden Davis, defensive tackle Michael Hall, and defensive end Isaiah McGuire. While Jerry Jeudy is obviously stealing the spotlight at workouts in Cleveland, Davis has been taking advantage of the absences of Cedric Tillman and Michael Woods II, catching the eyes of head coach Kevin Stefanski and wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea. The coaches have praised his work this offseason, and even if Tillman and Woods are back for training camp, the four-man quarterback race should still afford Davis several opportunities to be seen.
Hall’s rookie campaign was limited by a five-game suspension resulting from a domestic violence arrest and injury. As last year’s top draft pick in Cleveland, the Browns will be expecting a big jump for Hall in Year 2, and he should be running in the interior two-deep with rookie No. 5 pick Mason Graham, Maliek Collins, and Shelby Harris. After earning three starts in 16 appearance last year, McGuire is an easy pick to break out. With a strong sample of play in his time last year, the coaching staff thinks “very highly” of McGuire entering training camp, and he could end up with a starting job.
CB Kaiir Elam Expected To Play Big Role In Dallas
The Cowboys’ front office has been busy during the offseason, sending away lots of draft capital to bring in players like George Pickens, Kenneth Murray, Joe Milton, and Kaiir Elam. Pickens was clearly brought in to be WR2 across from CeeDee Lamb, Murray will fill in for the loss of Eric Kendricks, and Milton will be QB2 behind Dak Prescott. Elam, though, comes into an interesting situation. While he was never a full-time starter during his three years in Buffalo, Elam is expected to have a significant role on the Cowboys defense, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. 
While Elam never quite lived up to his first-round status with the Bills, he put forth fairly consistent performances each season. Though injuries have caused him to miss significant time (22 of a possible 51 games) in Buffalo, Dallas will be hoping he can come through during a time when injuries are hitting the team hard.
Last season, the Cowboys saw both Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland miss significant amounts of time. Bland quickly got back up to speed and began to show signs of returning to the All-Pro greatness he displayed in 2023. Diggs, though, is working his way back from knee surgery, and while he is aiming for a return by the time the season opener rolls around, his timeline for return is certainly in question. Mix in the loss of Jourdan Lewis to Jacksonville in free agency after a strong year in the slot, and the team has several questions to answer at the cornerback position.
Part of the solution could be third-round draft pick Shavon Revel, who was receiving first-round buzz prior to suffering a torn ACL early into his final season at East Carolina. Revel should be ready to play by the time the regular season begins, but he’s not projected to return until sometime mid-training camp.
With things the way they are, Machota makes it clear: “Bland is one starter, Elam is another.” As we discussed at the end of May, Bland has been working more this offseason in the slot. He’s excelled both inside and outside during his short time in Dallas, which makes him extremely valuable to the team in this situation. In a contract year, Bland likely isn’t going to want to establish himself as a nickelback, considering the highest-paid nickelback in the NFL (Taron Johnson, $10.25MM per year) makes just over half the salary of the highest-paid outside cornerback (Denzel Ward, $20.1MM per year). He’ll need to hope, instead, that the Cowboys will reward him for his flexibility and versatility.
So, Bland and Elam are starting, then when an additional cornerback comes on, it could be Revel that comes in, shifting Bland inside. Or it could be Israel Mukuamu coming into the slot, keeping Bland out wide. Mukuamu has never really played significant snaps in any season, but last year, he saw more time at nickelback than he did at any other secondary position.
When Diggs comes back, things will be clearer. He and Bland will start together, and Bland can shift inside whenever Elam or Revel come in for sets that require more defensive backs. Until then, though, Elam is expected to play a major role in stabilizing the position group to open up the season.
Colts Rookie CB Justin Walley Could See Field Early
Last year, the Colts fielded a strong trio of cornerbacks in Jaylon Jones, Samuel Womack, and Kenny Moore. The team then added Charvarius Ward on a three-year, $54MM contract in free agency. That made it all the more shocking when Indianapolis selected a cornerback — one with a Day 3 grade, mind you — in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Well, according to Stephen Holder, that selection stands a strong chance of contributing to the defense as a rookie. 
The Colts cornerback trio was extremely impressive in 2024. Though the defense struggled as a whole, they ranked sixth in interceptions with Jones, Womack, and Moore combining to contribute eight interceptions and 28 passes defensed. The three players accounted for 92 percent of the team’s snaps at outside cornerback, while Moore doubled as the primary nickelback, as well, and all three defenders graded out in the top 45 players out of 116 at the position, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Then, the team added Ward to the mix. Ward had a bit of a down year in San Francisco last season, but he has been a consistently strong starter in every other season of his career. In 2023 alone, he reeled in five interceptions and led the NFL with 23 passes defensed. Ward’s presence likely pushes Womack down to CB4, granted he returns to his usual quality of play. So, with four strong cornerbacks in rotation, what could’ve prompted the Colts to use their second Day 2 pick on Minnesota cornerback Justin Walley?
A three-star recruit out of Mississippi, Walley started in six games as a rookie with the Golden Gophers and served as a full-time starter for the rest of his collegiate career. In four years, he tallied seven interceptions and 34 passes defensed. His speed and aggression put him on scouts’ radars, but his undersized frame had scouts thinking that he would be easily overpowered in that aggression against NFL competition. This led to projections of him being picked late on Day 3 of the draft in the last three rounds.
Per Holder, though, Walley has more than proved to be worth his draft stock so far in Indy. He’s reportedly been turning heads throughout the offseason, continuing his aggressive coverage while showing impressive instincts, as well. Head coach Shane Steichen noted that Walley “has been making a ton of plays through OTAs,” calling him “really sticky in coverage.”
With so many strong players at his position, he likely won’t be earning a starting role, but he’s looking to be too talented to keep off the field. The Colts are expecting for him to be part of their dime package and a frequent rotation in nickel, as well. He could end up being well worth the third-round pick used on him.
Texans Offensive Line Positions Starting To Settle
A week ago, we dove into some speculation about the potential starters that could emerge from several position battles along the offensive line in Houston. According to DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN, roles are “starting to sort themselves out for a completely revamped unit.”
To review, the departures of Laremy Tunsil, Shaq Mason, and Kenyon Green left the Texans with three vacant starting positions: left tackle, left guard, and right guard. Of the two positions with returning starters, the presumed right tackle starter could be moved elsewhere on the line, while the center position will likely have to be won through competition regardless of returners.
Nothing has changed on the situation at left guard. Veteran free agent addition Laken Tomlinson comes to Houston with 10 years of starting experience, all at left guard. He took the most reps at the position throughout the spring, and it appears to be his job barring injury. Similarly, there’s still a strong feeling that Tytus Howard will be a starter on the offensive line, though the team doesn’t know where. Over his six years in Houston, Howard has started 48 games at right tackle, 27 games at left guard, and four games at left tackle. Most of his time in the spring, though, was split between right tackle and right guard, so with Tomlinson at left guard, he’s likely pinned at the two spots on the right side of the line.
At left tackle, the Texans have been shuffling veteran free agent addition Cam Robinson and rookie second-round pick Aireontae Ersery on the first team. Robinson is likely the expected starter on the blindside, while Ersery appears to cross training at both tackle spots. This means Ersery is also rotating first-team snaps at right tackle. His competition on that side is last year’s second-rounder Blake Fisher, but Zachary Thomas is a new name Bien-Aime throws into the mix here.
Thomas joined the Texans last years after spending half the season in New England and two years before that with the Rams. He doesn’t have any starting experience in the NFL, so it’s interesting to see him getting rotated in with the two youngsters for first-team snaps. Whether they’re just checking every possibility or they lack confidence in their first- and second-year options remains to be seen, but it appears that Thomas has put himself in the conversation. If none of the three work out, Howard can always man the spot, and the new important position battle will be at right guard.
To look for who may start at right guard if Howard isn’t there, one must look to the position battle at center. Jarrett Patterson split time at the position with Michael Deiter in 2023 and then did the same with Juice Scruggs last year. Patterson and Scruggs return for another competition, but they’re now joined by Jake Andrews, a center that Houston claimed off waivers from the Patriots. Any of the three could win the job, and one may assume the best loser will have a good shot at filling the right guard spot, should Howard move back to tackle.
Elsewhere on the offense, Bien-Aime comments on the preferred wide receivers in Houston at the moment. With Nico Collins firmly atop the pecking order and with Tank Dell‘s prospects for playing in 2025 still uncertain, rookie second-round pick Jayden Higgins and veteran trade acquisition Christian Kirk have emerged as likely key contributors.
Higgens, a big-bodied pass catcher out of Iowa State, has reportedly been making plays on some of the Texans’ defensive starters as he develops a new chemistry with quarterback C.J. Stroud. After a down, injury-ruined year, Kirk is hoping his move to Houston will be fruitful. Kirk had already earned the nickname “slot demon” by the end of minicamp by the defense, and he seems to be establishing himself as a reliable safety blanket for Stroud, who was sacked last year more than every other quarterback in the NFL (except Caleb Williams).
With a new group of weapons on the offense establishing themselves and a re-tooled offensive line starting to figure out where everyone fits, the Texans are making quick and necessary progress on their new-look offense full of questions marks. They’ll hope to put together a group that can win its third straight division title and earn its third straight playoff appearance.
NFL Staff Updates: Chargers, Bills, Saints
Here are a few recent staffing updates to front offices in the NFL:
- According to ESPN’s Seth Walder, the Chargers are losing a member of its analytics staff. Senior analyst Alex Stern will be leaving the team in order to take a position with “Teamworks Intelligence (formerly Zelus Analytics), a major third-party sports analytics company with NFL clients.” After being named a finalist in the 2019 Big Data Bowl and concluding an analytics and research internship with the University of Virginia, Stern joined the Chargers as a research analyst in 2021. He was promoted to senior analyst last June.
- Where one team loses an analyst, another team gains one. Walker reported this week that the Bills are hiring a new football research assistant. Cole Jacobson makes his NFL debut in the position after years of doing freelance, seasonal, and part-time work with NFL Media, MLB Media, FOX Sports, Stats Perform, and Championship Analytics. He and his team were named finalists in this year’s Big Data Bowl.
- Lastly, the Saints have hired an operations admin out of Boise State in Garrett Holle to serve as their new director of rehabilitation, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. Holle heads to New Orleans after a quick rise through the collegiate ranks. Following an internship at Arizona State in 2023, Holle joined Boise State in the same season, rising from assistant athletic trainer and rehabilitation coordinator to assistant athletic director of sports performance and health and wellness in 2024. He fills the role vacated by Johnathan Gress, who left for the University of Oklahoma after six years in the position with the Saints.
QB Joe Flacco Has Support From Browns Veterans
With Deshaun Watson looking like a long shot to play in the 2025 NFL season at all, veteran quarterback Joe Flacco is emerging as the favorite to open the season as the Browns’ starting quarterback when they host the Bengals in Week 1. The coaches are starting to feel that way, but he’s getting support from some veteran teammates, as well, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. 
Per Cabot, when the Browns traded for Kenny Pickett early in the offseason, they had visions of the 27-year-old blossoming into a breakout star à la Sam Darnold. Throughout the spring, though, Flacco seemed to prove more capable of a starting role. The 40-year-old veteran shined as the “best pure thrower” of the football out of the four active passers on the roster, including rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
That arm, combined with “his intimate knowledge of (head) coach Kevin Stefanski‘s offense,” has put Flacco securely in the lead for the starting job at the moment. That experience saw him go 4-1 late in the 2023 season as a starter and lead the Browns to the postseason for only the second time in the 20 years prior. Gabriel and Sanders haven’t been ruled out as potential Week 1 starters yet, but Cabot posits that they stand a much better chance of earning starting time later in the season.
It’s not just the coaches who see the experience and talent of Flacco, he “has the full support of big-time veterans such as All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett,” as well. Before agreeing to an extension this offseason, Garrett expressed interest in playing for a playoff contender elsewhere in large part due to the team’s handling of the quarterback position. As a result, his endorsement of Flacco speaks volumes, along with the support of other veterans.
Elsewhere in the competition, we learned a bit more on Sanders’ driving history recently. After initially reporting on a speeding incident in mid-June that saw the 23-year-old cited at 101 mph on a 60-mph road, we saw ESPN (in conjunction with the Associated Press) report that this was the second such speeding incident Sanders had been involved in that month. Reports show that Sanders was pulled over on June 5 for going 91 mph in a 65-mph zone.
Sanders, reportedly, “failed to appear for an arraignment for that citation and faces $269 in fines and court costs” as a result. He faces a $250 fine for his most recent citation, a fourth-degree misdemeanor. His second ticket was received as he was pulled over alongside his girlfriend, who was driving 92 mph in a separate car. Despite the two traveling together at high speeds in separate vehicles, reports claim that there is “no suggestion that the two may have been racing,” according to Mike Florio of NBC Sports.
Following an unprecedented draft slide that resulted from character concerns for the Colorado alumnus, speeding incidents are not a great sign of development early in his professional career. Repeated offenses look even worse for the young passer, and if any suggestions of racing do emerge from his driving citations, things could go from bad to worse.
Dolphins Feeling Positive Effects From Trading Jalen Ramsey
It’s no secret that today’s big trade was the result of a bit of bad blood between veteran cornerback Jalen Ramsey and the Dolphins. While it can be tough for fans to watch their favorite players depart for greener pastures, the trade is ultimately a net positive for both Ramsey and Miami. 
According to Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier made it known that “Ramsey did not ask for a salary adjustment or a trade.” He did make it clear, though, that he thought it was in the best interest of both parties to part ways. In that sense, Ramsey got his wish today, and per Louis-Jacques, so, too, did the Dolphins.
Louis-Jacques reports that, following a disappointing 8-9 campaign in 2024, the relationship between Ramsey and the team “soured.” Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald echoed this sentiment today, saying that “Ramsey was unhappy in Miami for reasons that he never fully explained,” though Ramsey implied that, in his view, the Dolphins harbored a “willingness to accept mediocrity.”
Regardless, the team was looking for a culture change in the building, and when searching for names that could add to the team through their subtraction, Ramsey’s came up. So, in the end, both parties got what they wanted today.
Miami likely also feels accomplished in what they returned by offloading Ramsey. After throwing in tight end Jonnu Smith as a sweetener, the Dolphins were able to exchange two of their older contributors for a younger one that filled a major position of need. Jackson pointed out how, in the aftermath of the news breaking, several teams were surprised to see Miami get the value it did out of difficult situation. Now, doing so certainly made them extremely thin at the cornerback and tight ends positions, and the team has already begun to address that, but it also provided them some flexibility that they can now use to help fix those problem spots.
The Dolphins made an offer to veteran free agent cornerback Rasul Douglas back in May, per Jackson, but Douglas rejected the offer. Similarly, they inquired about Asante Samuel Jr. after his rookie contract with the Chargers expired. Jackson adds that the team told another free agent cornerback that they were hoping to gain “clarity on (Ramsey’s situation) before moving forward with anyone expecting a sizable contract.” They kept in contact with Douglas, and Samuel remains unsigned as he recovers from neck surgery. Other veteran cornerbacks, like James Bradberry, Stephon Gilmore, Mike Hilton, and C.J. Henderson, remain on the market, as well.
And, now, with the clarity and cap relief from this trade, the Dolphins have a bit of breathing room they can utilize to fill these holes. Instead of shouldering Ramsey’s $16.7MM cap hit, they only have to stomach $6.7MM of dead money. Even after Minkah Fitzpatrick‘s cap impact is factored in, the team is left with over $15MM in cap space. Even better, any of that unused cap can be rolled over into next year, when the Dolphins have to contend with $18MM in dead money from Ramsey’s contract, though that figure also improved from $25MM as a result of the trade.
So, with no negative implications, we can see where the Dolphins could be happier having parted ways with Ramsey. They gave Ramsey the change of scenery he desired, initiated a change in culture in their building, and did so in a way that allows them to try and build a better team.
Jalen Ramsey Could See Hybrid Role In Pittsburgh
In the aftermath of today’s headlining trade, many questions arose concerning the ramifications of the roster changes. Namely, a big one of these questions was centered around the idea of, now that the Steelers have brought in some cornerback help, how do they address the new hole at safety? The answer to that question could come in a couple different forms. 
The simplest answer is the most obvious one: next man up. Earlier in the offseason, Pittsburgh signed Juan Thornhill to serve in a third safety role behind Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott. It was a role that Damontae Kazee filled in 2024, but Kazee was not re-signed after his contract expired. The team could just count on Thornhill, who has started 74 of 87 game appearances in his six-year career, to step up next to Elliott, but Pittsburgh may have other ideas.
Jalen Ramsey has been an outstanding outside cornerback throughout his professional career, playing about 80 percent of his NFL snaps at the position, but he’s excelled elsewhere in the past. As one of the top recruits in Florida State’s 2013 signing class, Ramsey played a big role for a true freshman as one of the school’s two starting safeties. The following year Ramsey led the Seminoles defense with most of his snaps coming in the slot. In his final collegiate season, Ramsey played most of his defensive snaps at outside cornerback.
He stayed at outside corner for most of his NFL career, starting in Jacksonville. After a move to Los Angeles, the Rams decided to start giving him some more work in the slot in his sixth NFL season. In the slot, his coverage abilities allowed him to stay with receivers on the inside, but his size allowed him to cover tight ends and stop the run. His versatile usage in college prepared him perfectly for that role, and it resulted in All-Pro honors and a Super Bowl.
ESPN’s Ben Solak speculates that a full-time move to “safety might maximize Ramsey’s remaining athleticism and football intelligence.” Mark Kaboly from The Pat McAfee Show speculates that the Steelers may see more value in Ramsey’s versatility and use him in a hybrid role that sees him playing at outside corner, nickelback, and safety. NFL Insider Josina Anderson went even further, asserting that, barring the future addition of another a true free safety, Pittsburgh could field a base defense with three cornerbacks and one safety on the field.
Where most teams’ base defense would feature two of each position with an additional cornerback coming onto the field in packages that require more defensive backs, Anderson believes that the Steelers could field a secondary with Darius Slay and Joey Porter Jr. at cornerback, Elliott at strong safety, and Ramsey at free, until they need to run with five in the secondary, in which case Ramsey would shift up into the nickel or outside cornerback role, allowing Thornhill to come in at safety. Or, perhaps, Ramsey stays at safety, and the fifth defensive back is last year’s primary nickelback, Beanie Bishop.
There are many possible solutions to this equation. Adding Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith to the roster certainly made the team better, albeit a bit older and more expensive. Pittsburgh has had a busy offseason buying several new (used) toys from Aaron Rodgers to DK Metcalf to Robert Woods to Slay and Ramsey. Now it’s up to the league’s longest-tenured head coach to make sure all his new toys play well together.
S Minkah Fitzpatrick To Benefit From Positional Consistency
In today’s headline-grabbing trade, the Dolphins gave up a lot to bring back safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a late-round pick swap in next year’s draft. While Miami is welcoming back a three-time first-team All-Pro defender who has qualified for five Pro Bowls, including the last three, Fitzpatrick isn’t viewed quite as highly as he has been in the past. He sought a trade from the team that drafted him because of issues with his role on the defense, but now, he should benefit from a return to his first team because of the role that they need him to fill. 
As ESPN’s Brooke Pryor points out, part of the reason Fitzpatrick became an expendable piece of the Steelers defense is because his production in the past two seasons did not quite justify his $22MM cap hit in 2025. His 2023 struggles seemed to be the result of injuries and an expectation for Fitzpatrick to play a bit out of position. The 2023 campaign saw a significant increase of his snaps in the box for the first time in his career, and as a result, he failed to contribute any game-changing moments, as he was not in his usual position to do so.
This same type of issue is what led to Fitzpatrick’s departure from Miami in first place. After a rookie year in which he was utilized mostly as a strong safety, then-defensive coordinator Patrick Graham attempted to experiment with Fitzpatrick across different roles in the secondary, opting to play him in a nickelback role while starting Bobby McCain and Reshad Jones at safety. After getting torched by Lamar Jackson in the season opener of his sophomore campaign, 59-10, the Dolphins gave Fitzpatrick permission to seek a trade when he expressed dissatisfaction with his positional role.
Immediately upon his arrival in Pittsburgh, Fitzpatrick found a nearly full-time home at the safety position and rewarded the Steelers with his first All-Pro season. Over his first four years in Pittsburgh, Fitzpatrick reeled in 17 interceptions (three for touchdowns) and logged 38 passes defensed, earning two more All-Pro honors in the process.
In 2023, though, the team brought in Damontae Kazee and shifted Fitzpatrick’s role. All of the sudden, Fitzpatrick was playing a quarter of his defensive snaps in the box and another quarter in the slot. The addition of DeShon Elliott helped in 2024, getting him back into a true high safety role for the majority of the time, but the team still gave him a significant snap share in the box that year, as well. Over that span, Fitzpatrick’s plays on the ball decreased drastically, only amounting to one interception and seven passes defensed in two years.
Now, he heads back to South Beach, and in Miami, they need a safety. Now far-removed from the days of positional dispute, the Dolphins are in a place where they are trying to recover from the departures of both starting safeties from the 2024 season, Jevon Holland and Jordan Poyer. Before acquiring Fitzpatrick, Ashtyn Davis and Ifeatu Melifonwu were expected to fill out the starting defense. Both players have extremely limited experience in starting safety roles, so Fitzpatrick is certain to come in as the team’s new best safety.
Now, Fitzpatrick returns to Miami to claim his rightful spot in the secondary. He’s older (28) and has a bit more of an injury history, but a return to a full-time safety role should do him good. The Dolphins were confident enough in that outcome that they traded away two impact players to bring him in, though one player notably did not want to be in Miami.
Eagles’ Cooper DeJean Could See Time At Safety
As we discussed earlier in the month, Cooper DeJean is expected to be a full-time starter in Philadelphia this year, instead of only being on the field in nickel packages as the primary slot corner. DeJean will still be the primary nickelback, but when the defense’s base personnel are on the field, DeJean will be there in a different position. While originally, we posited that this meant more time at outside cornerback for DeJean, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer tells us another position is under consideration. 
Per McLane, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio suggested that DeJean could end up starting at safety rather than cornerback. While, at the moment, DeJean has still been working across from Quinyon Mitchell as the first-team boundary corners, he’s also been seen working with the safeties in individual drills.
This isn’t a totally novel concept for DeJean. The versatile defender moved around frequently during his time at Iowa, and though, over three years, he only ever played one snap as a true safety in college, he worked out as a safety for several teams that scouted him. While it’s much more common for slot corners to move to the outside or for safeties to move to the slot, DeJean is likely talented enough to be able to make a move to safety work.
The question still remains, though, who will be CB3 coming off the bench to fill the second outside cornerback role behind Mitchell and DeJean. We delved into this topic as well earlier in the offseason, and Kelee Ringo and Adoree’ Jackson are still very much undergoing a position battle for the role.
After a decent rookie campaign in 2023, Ringo got demoted to CB5 or 6 with the arrivals of DeJean and Mitchell. He’s looking to get back on the field in the CB3 role, but Jackson, a free agent addition, has become stiff competition for the job. In most situations the two are running together as the outside cornerbacks on the second-team defense. The two have also gotten the chance to split time with one player working with the first team and one with the second. Jackson reportedly got first dibs at first-team reps to start, but the next week, Ringo was getting the primary opportunities on the first team.
It looks to be a true and honest battle that either player could win at this point, while fifth-round rookie Mac McWilliams and Eli Ricks continue to be viewed as longshots. Regardless, the Eagles have to be happy with the depth of competition they have going in their secondary at the moment, and it’ll be a fun situation to watch throughout camp.