CB Avonte Maddox Re-Signed by the Philadelphia Eagles: Why Going Back Made SenseAvonte Maddox, a slot cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles, would likely be in the final year of a three-year, $22.5 million extension that he signed in November 202021, or he might even be negotiating for another extended deal from the team that drafted him in the fourth round of the 2018 draft, if he had remained healthy over the previous two seasons.
Rather, Maddox was cut due to salary cap on March 7 and, according to a league source, he signed a new one-year contract with the Eagles on Thursday to rejoin the team.
The Eagles were obliged to rescind Maddox’s contract because, in his six NFL seasons, he had just once been healthy enough to play the entire season during the 2021 campaign. Before his release, Maddox was scheduled to earn $6.85 million in 2024.
Maddox, 28, has established himself as one of the NFL’s best slot defenders when healthy. He possesses great short-area quickness to handle option routes, tenacity and awareness to handle his run fits with ease, and the ability to time the occasional blitz successfully.
Despite his small stature of 5 feet 9 inches and 184 pounds, Maddox plays a physically demanding brand of football for his size. Nevertheless, he has struggled to stay on the field in recent years, missing 21 of a possible 34 regular-season games due to various injuries, including 13 last season after suffering a torn pec in Week 2.
After putting in a lot of effort to make a comeback last season, Maddox was able to play again in Weeks 17 and 18 against Arizona and the New York Giants. He also returned for the playoff game against Tampa Bay, where he played safety instead of slot CB to cover for Reed Blankenship, who was sidelined due to a groin injury that ultimately required surgery.
Though Maddox visited the New Orleans Saints shortly after being granted his freedom, there was no assurance that a reunion would occur or that a contract would be reached.
Running it back with Philadelphia, where Maddox’s close buddy and former roommate Dallas Goedert still plays a significant role in the offensive scheme, started to make more sense as time went on.
Even while the contract’s formal figures are still unknown, the Eagles will undoubtedly receive Maddox back at a steep discount. Maddox will then have another chance to establish himself in a setting where he feels at ease before maybe hitting the free-agent scene again in the spring.
Last season, the Eagles struggled mightily to replace Maddox in the slot and turned to seven different players to try and hold down the fort. Mario Goodrich was the first to finish a Week 2 victory over Minnesota after Maddox went down.
From there, a number of players were thrown into the fire with varying degrees of success: Pro Bowl outside cornerback Darius Slay, rookie safety Sydney Brown, undrafted rookie outside cornerback Eli Ricks, veteran outside corner James Bradberry, in-season acquisition Bradley Roby, and returning emergency option Josiah Scott.
Although Maddox is currently slated to start as the starting slot CB, the Eagles would be foolish to expect him to play for more than 17 games. It appears the team has learned from its previous experience with Maddox’s absence from the field last season.This time, even before the draft later this month, a number of backup plans are in place.
After a year-long suspension for gambling, the Eagles signed CB Isaiah Rodgers last season, and they anticipate his return. When Rodgers, 26, was in Indianapolis, he appeared to be a player on the rise, at least externally. But the Colts have one of the NFL’s best inside cornerbacks in Kenny Moore. At 5-10 and 170 pounds, Rodgers might be more appropriate for a slot position.
After spending two seasons in Las Vegas, natural slot corner Tyler Hall, 25, was also signed by the Eagles in free agency.Playmaking safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, 26, has returned to the team after spending a year away in Detroit. Although he considers himself to be one of the NFL’s best young safeties, Gardner-Johnson has also shown that he is more than capable of playing the slot position.
