Eagles Insights: Is Eric Rowe a Safety?

Eric Rowe has been taking some snaps at safety this week.

Bill Davis said those snaps didn't mean that the rookie was beginning to transfer from cornerback to safety, where he played the majority of his college career. The Eagles defensive coordinator said that he wants all his defensive backs to know how to play multiple spots in the secondary.

"It's nothing new. All the guys have taken reps at all the spots," Davis said on Thursday. "Even through all of training camp [safety] Walt Thurmond was taking reps outside at corner. We've had a real good offseason with cross training our secondary."

But Rowe's transition to corner has not been smooth. He still looks like a safety when he plays, which makes sense since he said that is where he feels most natural.

"I'm used to reading the quarterback's eyes and kind of leaning on him," Rowe said. "So it's nothing new to me."

Davis said before training camp that Rowe would exclusively play outside corner. And then rookie JaCorey Shepherd tore his ACL and Rowe was given an opportunity to play in the slot. That experiment didn't go so hot either.

Despite downplaying Rowe's safety repetitions, Davis did crack open the door toward an eventual move to safety.

"Everybody comes through the corner door," Davis said. "We start you there and then we grow you to see where your skill-set takes you. How much nickel can you play? Do you have the safety ability?"

Perhaps Davis was referencing rookies that are considered hybrid defensive backs, but safeties Earl Wolff and Ed Reynolds, who were drafted in the fifth round of the 2013 and 2014 drafts, didn't start at corner, nor did they ever get a significant amount of snaps there.

Despite Rowe's early struggles, he may have to play in Monday night's season opener at the Falcons. If the Eagles plan on moving starting cornerback Nolan Carroll inside in their nickel defense, Rowe may be the first corner off the bench to replace him on the outside. E.J. Biggers and rookie Denzel Rice are the two other options.

"I feel like I'm coming along. I know I have a ways, too," Rowe said. "I feel like coming into the season as least I'm not like feeling like how I felt when I first got here. Obviously, I know I made mistakes, but I'm kind of glad it happened in the preseason and not when it really counts."

Rowe said that the most difficult part of playing corner has been guarding receivers man-to-man. He played corner in his senior year at Utah, but the talent level in the NFL is a dramatic step up. He's flashed as a tackler and using his hands post-catch.

"Those are safety skills, the tackling, not being afraid to come and hit," Rowe said. "I feel like as a corner the angles you get are a lot easier mentally than safety because I'm used to coming head on head and that's tough."

HUFF TO RETURN KICKS

Josh Huff said that he expects to return kicks against the Falcons. The second-year wide receiver didn't handle kickoffs during the preseason. He returned 14 last season for a 29.6-yard average and took one back 107 yards for a touchdown.

Huff said that Nelson Agholor and Ryan Matthews, among a few others, could also be used to return kicks.