Eagles rookie CB Shepherd injures right leg

Eagles rookie cornerback JaCorey Shepherd will have an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of a right leg injury suffered in Sunday’s open practice.

Shepherd was injured when he ran into Darren Sproles after a play near the sideline during Sunday’s practice at Lincoln Financial Field.

The injury means Shepherd will nearly certainly miss his entire rookie season.

A sixth-round pick this offseason out of Kansas, the Jayhawks product had looked good in early workouts and was seen as being a major piece in replacing Boykins in the Eagles’ secondary. Especially after the Eagles traded cornerback Brandon Boykin to the Pittsburgh Steelers last month. He tried getting up, but couldn’t put any weight on his leg. He went back down and was ultimately carted off the field.

So if Shepherd went down and Boykin were still here today, would the Eagles make that trade again for a conditional fifth-round pick?

Still glad you traded Boykin, Chip?

It was the rookies’ efficiency throughout OTAs and minicamp that satisfied Kelly and his employees that that they had sufficient depth to half with Boykin. “We have nine and we are probably going to keep five”. Options for DC Billy Davis now include Jaylen Watkins and E.J. Biggers, or using one of his starters (Byron Maxwell, Nolan Carroll) inside in sub packages.

Thurmond seems to have the inside track to start at safety opposite Malcolm Jenkins. No doubt, Kelly will have to answer that question at his next media availability.

Watkins, who’s 5-foot-11 and 194 pounds, said he has the size for the position that the Eagles want.

A week ago, the Eagles were very deep and talented at the slot corner position. “Slot has a lot of mental aspect to it. They’re high on me from that point”. Shepherd is the second Eagle to tear an ACL in the first week of training camp.

Of the three options, I think the first would be my favorite.