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Schwartz says Jalen Mills made Rowe expendable

A rebuilding team that has an insatiable appetite for draft picks right now. A struggling young second-round cornerback who had fallen to the bottom of the depth chart, but still had trade value.

That, in a nutshell, is why the Eagles sent Eric Rowe to the New England Patriots earlier this week for a 2018 conditional fourth-round pick that could become a third if the kid plays 50 percent of the defensive snaps this season or next in Foxboro.

Rowe, who started the final five games last season after Nolan Carroll broke his leg, was the fifth corner on a team that plans to activate just four on game day.

"I think the development of Jalen Mills had a lot to do with it,'' defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said Thursday morning. "Jalen was a seventh-round pick and really exceeded our expectations, and probably everybody's expectations for him.

"We're looking at a situation where we're going to have four corners active. Jalen has also played some nickel for us. That really wasn't on Eric's plate.

"Eric worked really hard and did everything we asked of him. We certainly wish him the best. But our personnel staff decided to use him as an asset. And as coaches, we just deal with that and keep playing."

Schwartz said he didn't really give any serious thought to moving Rowe to safety, the position he played for three of his four years at Utah.

"That was tried last year (with the former coaching staff),'' he said. "But I think he's a corner.''

With the Rowe trade, the Eagles only have four corners on their roster right now. But they seem fine with that. At least for the moment. Another corner, rookie C.J. Smith, is right next door on the practice squad.

"We'll see how the season goes,'' Schwartz said. "It doesn't matter. Any position you think you're deep at, there's going to come a time where you're shocked how thin you are.

"Sometimes you're able to get through it. Injuries are a part of this game. We're a little bit thin right now. Not on a game basis. Not for Sunday. There are only so many guys you can activate for the game. But depth certainly becomes important as the season goes on and as injuries and other situations come to light.''