First, it was Saquon Barkley. Now, the Philadelphia Eagles are back for more, swiping two more former New York Giants as they attempt to recreate some of that Barkley magic.
Veteran cornerback Adoree’ Jackson and linebacker Patrick Johnson have both signed with the reigning Super Bowl champs, making it clear that Philly is more than happy to poach from their division rival.
Jackson, who spent the last three seasons with the G-Men, landed a one-year deal with the Eagles after a brief free-agency stint. Meanwhile, Johnson, a former Eagles draft pick who spent last season with the Giants, is heading back to the team that originally drafted him.
Neither signing is a blockbuster, but the Eagles are clearly looking to add depth while sticking it to the Giants in the process.
Adoree' Jackson and Patrick Johnson follow Saquon Barkley to the Eagles
New York’s secondary and linebacker corps were already thin, and losing Jackson and Johnson to Philly only makes it worse. General manager Joe Schoen has done his best to reinforce the defense through free agency, signing Paulson Adebo to take over as CB1 and adding Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles and Chris Board for linebacker depth.
But seeing multiple ex-Giants flock to Philly in back-to-back offseasons doesn’t exactly sit well.
Jackson’s departure wasn’t shocking—his role had already diminished as the Giants transitioned to a younger secondary. But after re-signing on a cheap one-year deal last season, he still showed he could contribute, posting a solid 69.0 Pro Football Focus grade. Now, he’ll be part of an Eagles cornerback room headlined by rookies Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.
If the Eagles can get the 2022 version of Jackson, when he played a key role in the Giants’ playoff run, this could turn out to be a sneaky good signing. Yay.
As for Johnson, his exit stings less, but it still reinforces a growing trend of Giants-to-Eagles moves. He was mostly a special teams player in New York and barely saw defensive snaps, but Philadelphia clearly values what he can bring in that role. Given the Eagles’ recent losses on the edge—including Josh Sweat signing with the Arizona Cardinals and Brandon Graham potentially retiring—Johnson could carve out a spot in their pass-rush rotation.
It’s impossible to ignore what’s happening here.
The Eagles took Barkley and immediately won a Super Bowl. Now, they’re coming for more Giants castoffs in an attempt to recreate that success. Maybe it works. Maybe it doesn’t. But one thing’s for sure—watching former Giants suit up in Kelly Green isn’t getting any easier. If this pattern continues, Schoen might want to start putting no-trade clauses specifically for Philadelphia in future deals.