The Philadelphia Eagles have made several upgrades to their secondary this offseason with the additions of Darius Slay and Will Parks. That duo should provide a nice boost to a unit that often came under fire in 2019. And now we have news regarding some potential internal improvement from one of the defensive backs already on the roster.
Per NJ.com Eagles beat writer Mike Kaye, Sidney Jones is working out with respected cornerback trainer and developer Ronnie Braxton in Texas this offseason. As you'll see in Kaye's tweet, Braxton's client list contains some of the best cornerbacks in the league, including Aqib Talib, Chirs Harris, A.J. Bouye, Bradley Roby, and the aforementioned Parks.
Looking at that client list, Harris is a four-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro, Talib is a five-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro, and Bouye is a one-time Pro Bowler. Parks has been praised for his versatility in the defensive backfield, and Roby signed a lucrative deal to stay with the Houston Texans this offseason.
As for Jones, he has been limited by injuries in his short NFL career and has yet to consistently show the skills that made him a highly-touted prospect out of Washington. Still, he has shown flashes at times and came up with two interceptions in 2019. It's certainly too early to write off Jones, and that's part of why the news of his work with Braxton is intriguing.
Braxton played linebacker at the University of Houston, where he graduated with a degree in exercise science. In addition to working with NFL players and the elite group of cornerbacks mentioned above, he's also worked with athletes in MLB, MLS, and the NBA.
Another NFL defensive back Braxton has worked with is Morris Claiborne, currently with the Kansas City Chiefs. The pair worked together when Claiborne was a member of the Dallas Cowboys, and an article from the Dallas Morning News provided some insight into the workouts, indicating they were diverse with the incorporation of boxing, pilates, and footwork drills with soccer players in addition to other methods that Braxton wouldn't reveal.
It's great to see Jones taking steps to try to improve his game, and it will be interesting to see if there are any notable improvements next season. If he can get anywhere close to where the Eagles thought he could, the impact on the team's secondary would be huge. Here's for hoping Braxton can work some magic with the young cornerback.
