Eagles fans will likely have their eyes focused on the team's potential pursuit of cornerback Byron Maxwell once free agency begins at 4 p.m. Tuesday, but there could be other potential cornerback options on the market.
In a conference call with reporters Thursday, ESPN analyst and former Eagles front office staffer Louis Riddick identified corners Antonio Cromartie and Kareem Jackson as players of interest to the team.
Cromartie notched three interceptions and 10 passes defensed with the Cardinals in 2014, his ninth in the NFL.
"Cromartie, from a height, weight, speed perspective, fits them," Riddick said, albeit with a caveat. "He's not the tackler they probably want at corner."
Jackson provides more intriguing possibilities. Splitting time outside and in the slot, the Texans' former first-round pick was named to Pro Football Focus' all-AFC South team after picking off three passes and defending nine.
"Kareem Jackson is someone who has been vilified down there in Houston as someone who is a bust," Riddick said. "But if you watch his tape from last year, something clicked."
Of course, in the eyes of Eagles fans, the cornerback market likely boils down to Maxwell or bust. The Seahawks corner excelled when he moved to the outside in 2014 opposite Richard Sherman.
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"Byron is a guy who you want to play to his strengths," Riddick said. "You don't want to ask him or any other free agent to come in and do something you haven't seen them do on film in their career previous to that point.
"Everyone knows what Seattle likes to do. Everyone knows what Byron has excelled at and that is getting up on the line, using his length, challenging you at the line."
Some Eagles fans, surely mindful of the disastrous transition for corners Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie on the 2011 "Dream Team," will roll their eyes at that quote. Riddick was the Eagles' director of pro personnel at the time.
But Riddick doesn't expect Chip Kelly and the front office to repeat the team's mistakes of old.
"I wouldn't think they would go full-scale into free agency and have that be the way to try to build up this football team because its been proven in the past that’s just not the way to go," Riddick said.
"They’re clearing the books for something, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what it is.”
Whatever "it" is, Riddick doubts that it will be a high-priced running back to replace LeSean McCoy.
"I would assume they address [running back] in the draft," he said. "I don't think free agency will be a route that they go there at that position."
Though the McCoy trade brought the Eagles a valuable part in linebacker Kiko Alonso, it certainly added one more box to check off on Kelly's offseason to-do list.
"They have a lot of holes," Riddick said. "They have a lot of things that they're gonna need to replace."