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Who will fix the Eagles' cornerback problem? Jim Schwartz is first in line

For those who enjoy the Xs and Os, Coach Jim Schwartz's handling of his cornerbacks should be fun to watch.

Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz speaks with members of the media during an NFL football training camp in Philadelphia, Tuesday, July 25, 2017.
Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz speaks with members of the media during an NFL football training camp in Philadelphia, Tuesday, July 25, 2017.Read more(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

It'd be easy to start this thing off with a bold declaration about what the Eagles should do. They should sign someone. They should trade for someone. They should keep on shaking trees until someone shakes loose. But what really matters is what they can do. And for NFL teams that need cornerback help at this stage of the offseason, there isn't much.

"We are going to have to keep an open mind, and let it play," defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said on Tuesday afternoon, and if you think that sounds uninspiring, just wait for the page-a-day calendar to hit the shelves.

Schwartz has been in the NFL long enough to understand that he and his coaches are the Eagles' last, best chance at turning their weakest position into something other than what it appears right now, which is a full-blown deal breaker capable of quashing any postseason hopes. True, the odds say that general manager Howie Roseman will make some kind of move to address the position between now and Week 1. On Monday, head coach Doug Pederson came close to admitting just that. Then again, he almost had to, given that he'd just been asked about the significance of the team's decision to cut fifth-year cornerback Dwayne Gratz. (On the one hand, Gratz has started more games (25) than every Eagles corner — except Patrick Robinson — combined. On the other hand, it's Dwayne Gratz).

[Eagles DT Tim Jernigan could have breakout season]

But the burden seems destined to be Schwartz's to bear. The last couple of offseasons have seen the Eagles chart a course in the opposite direction of where the rest of the league was going. The evolution of the modern passing game has spawned an equal and opposite reaction as teams prioritize the acquisition of athletes capable of defending the ridiculous amount of talent that currently exists at the wide-receiver position. On this year's free-agent market, the top two contracts in total value went to cornerbacks. Last year, only three contracts exceeded the total the Redskins and Giants gave to Josh Norman and Janoris Jenkins.

The rising tide has served to lift the rest of the market, which is why it is unrealistic to think the Eagles might yet uncover a workable solution. Consider the case of Nolan Carroll, whom the Cowboys signed to a three-year contract that guarantees him three times as much as the Eagles will pay the man they signed to replace him. Dallas signed Carroll after two of their own uninspiring veterans got more money elsewhere, with Morris Claiborne going to the Jets and Brandon Carr going to the Ravens.

Every offseason, the bottom of the cornerback market is a game of musical chairs, with veterans like Carroll and Claiborne and Carr and Leodis McKelvin making the rounds from secondary to secondary, less glue guys than scotch tape. Fact is, you get what you pay for, especially when you pay for nothing.

To be clear, the reasoning the Eagles employed this offseason is easy to understand. The organization clearly felt the addition of Alshon Jeffery would enhance Carson Wentz's margin for error as he finds his feet in the NFL. If true, that might bring the Eagles closer to an eventual Super Bowl than had they used those resources to address cornerback.

Still, anybody who watched this team during its five-game losing streak last season entered the offseason knowing they needed to do something to improve a position that left them DOA  in losses to the Bengals and Seahawks. They might not have done nothing, but they came pretty close.

"It's a position that we continue to look even outside, as we do every position, and as you know we're going to continue to look and try to bring in guys if we can and just create as much competition at that spot," Pederson said. "You know, it's obviously a spot that we're going to keep our eye on throughout camp. But now it gives a couple of our younger guys … a chance to really get in here and get valuable reps."

Like wide receiver last year, the Eagles should be able to find someone who at least eliminates the danger of them being unable to staff the position. The fact that two of their potential starters have been participating in the rookies' and selected veterans' portion of training camp is a pretty good indication of how thin they are at the position. Speaking in the locker room after Tuesday's session, veteran Ron Brooks sounded convinced that he was 100 percent recovered from the ruptured quad injury that ended his season last October. But the Eagles are in a spot where they almost need him to be correct. Along with third-round draft pick Rasul Douglas, who has been the subject of some intensive one-on-on coaching from defensive backs coach Corey Undlin, the duo currently represents half of the two-deep depth chart. In that sense, an injury to veteran newcomer Robinson or second-year man Jalen Mills could leave the Eagles struggling to make it through practice. C.J. Smith, an undrafted free agent who looks to have some potential, will arrive with the other veterans on Thursday, as will former CFLer Aaron Grymes, who saw some limited action last season.

Schwartz, who was hampered by shoddy cornerback play throughout his tenure as head coach in Detroit, is taking a pragmatic approach to the setting of his depth chart.

"I don't know. I'd like to do it tomorrow, but, I mean, that's just not where we are," he said. "I think if any decision that you're making now, you're predetermining the race. I mean, it would be nice to predetermine the race. We have some positions where we have solid starters … You know, we have some spots in there where guys have earned it. Guys have played a lot of football in the NFL, and it's their spot to lose, so to speak. But at corner, we really don't have that. We add a veteran like Patrick Robinson, draft some guys, get some guys back from injury. We are going to have to keep an open mind and let it play. I think if we close that competition too soon, I don't know if we serve the team the best way. [We have to] sort of let the chips fall."

For those who enjoy the X's-and-O's, Schwartz's handling of his corners should be fun to watch.