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Who'll be Eagles' slot cornerback with Boykin gone?

If JaCorey Shepherd is to remain the slot cornerback by the time the season starts, the Brandon Boykin trade was one that made the Eagles weaker on defense.

Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Jaylen Watkins (37) and cornerback
JaCorey Shepherd (36) run drills during practice at NFL football training camp, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2015, in Philadelphia. (Chris Szagola/AP)
Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Jaylen Watkins (37) and cornerback JaCorey Shepherd (36) run drills during practice at NFL football training camp, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2015, in Philadelphia. (Chris Szagola/AP)Read more

If JaCorey Shepherd is to remain the slot cornerback by the time the season starts, the Brandon Boykin trade was one that made the Eagles weaker on defense.

That isn't a knock on Shepherd or to suggest that he can't eventually surpass Boykin as a slot corner. But to expect the rookie to match his predecessor without having ever played the position would be unrealistic.

The good news for the Eagles is they have other options - if only those other options were currently available. The team has no immediate plans to move cornerback Byron Maxwell inside or safety Walter Thurmond back to corner because doing so would create larger holes elsewhere.

That leaves veteran E.J. Biggers and the inexperienced Jaylen Watkins as Shepherd's current competition. Perhaps one or the other emerges, but neither is likely to replace Boykin, arguably the best slot in the NFL.

There may be an impulse to dismiss the importance of a part-time position. But that would be to deny the distinctive nature of playing in the slot, and how the Eagles hurt their defense last season when they decreased Boykin's playing time to emphasize stopping the run.

The Eagles said they saw enough depth in their defensive backfield and alternatives that were "close enough" to Boykin to move the disgruntled corner to the Steelers for a conditional fifth-round draft pick. In essence, they made a long-term investment, likely at the expense of the present.

"The guys behind him and the guys that replaced him were close enough in theory," Eagles defensive coordinator Bill Davis said on Monday.

The trade, straight up, is a fair one. The Eagles received a draft pick (which could turn into a fourth-rounder if Boykin plays 60 percent of the snaps this season) for a player who was on the last year of his rookie contract.

But the Eagles were already turning over three-fourths of their starting secondary and Boykin was the most reliable of the group over the last two seasons. He may have had only one interception last season as opposed to six the year before, but he also played only 43 percent of the snaps vs. 51 percent in 2013.

He wasn't on the field as much, in part because Davis would occasionally keep his base defense on the field even if an offense went with three wide receivers. Some teams were able to run successfully against the Eagles' nickel defense in 2013 - in particular, the Saints in the playoffs.

To combat this, the Eagles acquired safety Malcolm Jenkins to play in the slot, which would allow them to keep three defensive linemen on the field against run-based offenses like the Seahawks. But Seattle threw against these sets and exploited the mismatch between slot receiver Doug Baldwin and Jenkins.

In a later game against the Redskins, outside linebacker Connor Barwin was caught covering a slot receiver when the Eagles stayed in their base defense against three wide receivers. When he was understandably beaten, the safety over the top had to help and left Bradley Fletcher alone against DeSean Jackson, who burned them deep.

When Davis said Jenkins and Thurmond were also options at nickel, this is what he has in mind. Thurmond, when healthy, was an effective slot corner. But the Eagles moved him to safety in the spring because of depth issues, and having him learn another spot right now may be too much.

Fortunately for Shepherd, he has experienced slot corners to lean on.

"I was just giving him advice right now. I was telling him, 'You're the starting nickel. I'm not trying to go back there, so get it right,' " Thurmond said with a laugh. "He has great technique, great footwork, and he has a knack for the ball."

But it's going to be a process. Wide receiver Jordan Matthews routinely beat Shepherd in man coverage on Monday. He said the rookie had the "what" of playing the slot down, but that he needed repetitions to get the "how" and the "why."

"When I got here, I already had an experienced nickel to go against," Matthews said. "Boykin knew the what, the how and the why by the time I got here. But [Shepherd has] got a lot of guys who are poised, who are experienced around him."

Covering lightning-quick slot receivers, or in the 6-foot-3 Matthews' case, receivers who are bigger than him, will be only part of the battle for the 5-11 Shepherd. He'll have to run-defend more than ever because he's essentially playing the outside linebacker role in a 3-4 scheme and teams will rush out of three-receiver sets.

"I have a little experience, but not much," Shepherd said. "It's all going to come with experience. I'm not saying the first few games or first few opportunities when I go out there it's going to be perfect. But I feel that as long as I continue to grow and understand what I'm doing out there, I'll be fine."

Chip Kelly and Davis have talked about the depth at cornerback, but after Maxwell and Carroll, the position is young. Four of the five - Eric Rowe, Randall Evans, Denzel Rice and Shepherd - are rookies. They're still two weeks away from playing in their first preseason game.

Davis said the Eagles were able to get an early read on the defensive backs in spring practices - despite the lack of contact - because coaches can still evaluate movement skills. He also said the up-tempo nature of Kelly's practices also allow for more repetitions - two to three per practice - than any other team.

"There is nothing like a rep, a practice rep on the field to train somebody," Davis said. "You've got to keep doing it and doing it. And we covet mistakes. Come on and make your mistakes, guys. Don't be fearful of mistakes, come make them because you'll learn from them."

If it's a rookie in the slot, there could be a lot of learning from mistakes in-season.

@Jeff_McLane