Why Devin McCourty Must Be at Top of Philadelphia' Eagles Free Agent Wish List

You could look at a number of reasons for why the Philadelphia Eagles missed the playoffs. A first-place schedule and a slew of injuries, particularly on the offensive line, didn’t help. Neither did a set of quarterbacks who combined to lead the NFL in interceptions. But despite the Eagles’ struggles on offense, they still scored 474 points, a franchise record and the third-most in the NFL.

The biggest reason for this team collapsing in the season’s final three games was a defensive backfield that realistically needs to have three starters replaced.

The Eagles have been here before, not too long ago actually. After the 2012 season, which featured Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie at cornerback and Nate Allen and Kurt Coleman at safety, the Eagles attempted a complete overhaul of their defensive backfield.

Cornerbacks Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher and safeties Patrick Chung and Kenny Phillips were all brought in as starters. That worked out about as well as you can expect when you sign four mid-range defensive backs. Williams and Fletcher both had decent seasons in 2013, but each regressed this year, especially Fletcher, who allowed 1,072 passing yards and nine touchdowns, per Pro Football Focus. Chung was benched by the end of the season, and Phillips never made the team with nagging knee injuries that ultimately ended his NFL career.

Looking at the Eagles’ defensive backfield right now, only Malcolm Jenkins, who signed a three-year deal and had a solid season, deserves to stay. It makes sense to replace both cornerbacks, Williams and Fletcher, and one safety, Nate Allen. 

The top free-agent targets at cornerback, per Spotrac, include names like Byron Maxwell, Antonio Cromartie, Tramon Williams, Kareem Jackson, Perrish Cox and Chris Culliver. That's a pretty solid group. There's also a good rookie cornerback class, with five top-50 players and 12 top-100 players, per CBS Sports. 

Safety isn't as strong, however. New England's Devin McCourty is easily the top option, and then you drop down to mid-range names like Rahim Moore, Antrel Rolle and Louis Delmas. Per CBS Sports, there's only one rookie in CBS Sports's top 50 draft projections, and just seven in the top 100. 

The Eagles need to address both positions in the offseason, preferably both corners and one safety. But in a weak class for rookie safeties and a mediocre class for free-agent safeties, it makes sense for McCourty to be the top free-agent option. He's significantly better than any of the options at cornerback, and he's young enough to solidify the position for a number of seasons. 

I also have my questions about a player like Byron Maxwell, who undoubtedly owes a tremendous amount of his success to the coaches in Seattle. Life is also generally easier when you're in the same defensive backfield with Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. 

I'd rather take my chances and go for a player who has proven, year after year, that he's among the best in the league at his position. So, let's take a look at what McCourty brings to the table. 

Drafted in the first round of the 2010 draft, the 27-year-old McCourty is basically a clone of Malcolm Jenkins...just better. Like Jenkins, he's a former cornerback who converted to safety early in his career. 

McCourty intercepted nine passes and defensed 29 others in his first two seasons. After switching to safety, his big plays have gone down a little, but he's still collected eight picks and 30 passes defensed in the last three years. 

He earned a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie cornerback in 2010 and graded as the league's top safety, per Pro Football Focus, in 2013. It definitely helps playing with Darrelle Revis but one look at how he did before they came showed that he can play no matter who's in the defensive backfield with him.

The Eagles love Jenkins because in a pinch, he can play slot corner or even fill in as an outside corner. Versatility is important to Chip Kelly, and that's what is going to intrigue him about the multi-talented defensive back. 

It's not just coverage where McCourty has made his mark, however. While his hitting won't be confused with former Eagles safety Brian Dawkins, he's a physical, very efficient safety who rarely misses a tackle. In fact, Pro Football Focus credits McCourty with 136 combined tackles against just 11 missed tackles in the last two seasons. By comparison, Jenkins has missed 28 tackles over the past two years. 

What would it cost to sign McCourty and how long would the Eagles attempt to lock him up for? That's a tough call. There's always the chance that the Patriots hit him with the franchise tag, but my gut feeling says that he is allowed to test the free-agent market. After all, the Patriots might be committing more than $20 million to Darrelle Revis in 2015. They also just extended safety Patrick Chung (yes, that Patrick Chung), who had a solid year after leaving Philly but is nowhere near McCourty's caliber. That could be another sign McCourty will hit free agency. 

Realistically, it makes sense for McCourty to be handed a four-year deal. The Eagles locked up Jenkins for three years. McCourty is definitely a better player, but I don't see a five-year deal, keeping him in Philly through his age-33 season, as plausible. Expect a deal to be worth about $9 million per season. So that's about a four-year deal worth $36 million, and I estimate about $14 million will be guaranteed. 

If the Eagles can land McCourty, which will solidify both safety positions for at least the next two seasons, they can focus solely on cornerback in the draft. They'll also have the money to, hopefully, add a mid-range player like Cox or Jackson. And the draft is talented enough for the Eagles to add a player or two in one of the top rounds. 

But for a team that possesses enough salary-cap space to spend big if needed, it's time to fix some of the major holes on the defensive side of the ball.