NFL Rumors: Eagles May Target Pro Bowl CB in Free Agency

xavier rhodes injury

Getty Xavier Rhodes.

Pro Bowl cornerbacks don’t just fall from trees. Or, if they do, there has to be collateral damage from their plummet.

That is the curious case of Xavier Rhodes. The three-time Pro-Bowl selection was released by the Minnesota Vikings on Friday in a move that saved the team $8.1 million in cap space. The 29-year-old cornerback is a former first-round pick and a guy who qualified for the Pro Bowl in 2019.

Why would a team with Super Bowl aspirations cut him?

Well, Rhodes has been in steady decline since 2017 and hasn’t graded out well at all. The Twitter comments from disgusted Vikings fans over the past two seasons on his coverage skills are downright frightening.

According to Pro Football Focus, Rhodes allowed a 127.8 passer rating when targeted and gave up 12 yards per catch. In addition, the stats-driven website stated that “87 different cornerbacks saw 50 targets into their coverage in 2019, and none of them allowed a higher completion rate than Rhodes.”

Despite making the Pro Bowl in 2019, Rhodes failed to record an interception for the first time since his rookie year in 2013. He finished with 63 total tackles, along with six passes defensed and one forced fumble. The 6-foot-1, 218-pounder from Florida State collected 10 interceptions and 73 pass breakups in seven NFL seasons, all in Minnesota.


Rhodes Almost Benched, Threw Tantrum Last Year

The Vikings probably should have benched Xavier Rhodes last season but he somehow kept his starting spot. The tipping point came on Dec. 2 when he gave up a 60-yard touchdown to the Seahawks’ David Moore.

Rhodes was beaten badly on the play and looked to be expecting safety help. Then, he made it worse by throwing a tantrum on the sideline and throwing his helmet.

After the game, Rhodes dismissed reporters and walked out of the locker room while giving the infamous quote: “I’m already out the door.” The statement was telling in more ways than one. While Rhodes later apologized for his actions, the damage was done. He had checked out on the season, and his team, right then and there.


Eagles Could Offer One-Year ‘Prove-It’ Deal

The Eagles are extremely thin at cornerback, especially with the futures of Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby in jeopardy. Their two starters from last season are both free agents and there is much debate about whether they should be re-signed. Philadelphia has been heavily linked to signing the Cowboys’ Byron Jones in free agency but that’s not a given.

Enter Xavier Rhodes. While there’s no question he struggled in coverage in 2019, he was once considered one of the best cornerbacks in football. Could a change of scenery make a difference? Could he find the Fountain of Youth?

If GM Howie Roseman were able to lure him into the nest on a “prove-it deal” — say, one year at $5 million — then it could be worth a flier. Of course, this move would have to be in addition to either grabbing a marquee free agent or drafting a young stud cornerback. Rhodes could be an interesting emergency plan.

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