For Eric Rowe, what a difference a year makes. What a difference six months makes for that matter.
By the end of last season, Rowe was starting at cornerback opposite Byron Maxwell, having replaced an injured Nolan Carroll, and most felt the rookie acquitted himself well. At the very least, it looked like the second-round draft pick out of Utah was poised to compete for a job in 2016, if he wasn't the odds-on favorite to win.
Instead, Rowe has plummeted down the depth chart and is fielding questions about whether his spot on the 53-man roster is even space. For that reason, it should come as no surprise to learn Eliot Shorr-Parks for NJ.com is reporting the Eagles are shopping the 6-foot-1, 205-pound defensive back.
It's worth noting this particular reporter has floated this very idea before, although this time he's hearing from "a person close to the situation." ESP goes on to say the Eagles have been trying to trade Rowe all training camp and does not take release off the table.
Rowe is highlighting one of the downsides of regime change in the NFL.
The Eagles sent a sixth-round pick to Miami to move up five spots and invested No. 47 overall in Rowe little more than a year ago. Aside from some schooling courtesy of future Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson on Thanksgiving Day, the 23-year-old looked pretty good in limited opportunities, finishing with five pass breakups and an interception in five starts, 16 games as a rookie.
Then Chip Kelly and Billy Davis get fired, Doug Pederson and Jim Schwartz were installed as head coach and defensive coordinator, and all of a sudden Rowe can't even get on the field.
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Whether you're going off of reports or simply making your own educated observations, this is not looking good. Rowe is clearly behind Carroll, Leodis McKelvin and Ron Brooks on the depth chart, and Schwartz had seventh-round rookie Jalen Mills ahead of him as well. Meanwhile, guys like undrafted C.J. Smith were getting looks with the first-team defense in preseason, while Rowe played out the entire finale, a game usually reserved for backups and players who aren't making the team.
At no point has it appeared Rowe has been in serious consideration for a starting job or much of a role in the defense at all. He probably isn't even the first guy off the bench, and if the Eagles carry six corners, maybe not even the second. The second-year corner isn't cut out to play in the slot, nor does it appear there are plans to move him to safety, the position he played most of college career.
If that's the case, maybe the Eagles should be shopping Rowe. There were plenty of teams that would have taken him around the same point in the draft last year, and he's done little to damage his stock over such a brief period of time. Rowe is young and possesses ideal size and strength for the outside in addition to 4.4 speed, not to mention the versatility to play multiple positions, including special teams.
It's unclear what exactly Rowe has done to fall out of Schwartz's favor. It's not like McKelvin or Brooks have been killing it out there. Whatever the issue is, this coaching staff hasn't shown Rowe any love. If there is an offer on the table, the Eagles might as well take it, because Rowe's value isn't going to get any higher anyway as long as he's glued to bench.
