Eagles CB Eli Ricks: Why Startup Costs Should Pay Dividends

The Philadelphia Eagles got a bit of a scare this week in advance of an all-important rematch with the high-powered Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on Sunday night.

At Wednesday’s walk-through practice, five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay was estimated as a non-participant with a designation listing both his knee and rest. The next man up for the Eagles at outside cornerback is undrafted rookie Eli Ricks, according to a team source.

The rest caveat with Slay somewhat limited any concern because the Eagles are trying to massage the 32-year-old through the rest of what is hopefully going to be another 20-game season for Philadelphia.

Concerns elevated Thursday, however, when Slay was again a non-participant. 

The context there was that some wet weather forced the team indoors and onto turf, which is not nearly as forgiving as the outside practice fields, especially for a player dealing with some kind of knee pain.

SI.com’s Eagles Today caught up with Slay in the locker room after that Thursday practice and he was his usual jovial self, saying “We’ll see,” when asked if he was playing on Sunday night.

The spark in Slay's eye gave it away, however, and sure enough, the veteran was on the field Friday when the Eagles were outdoors and given no injury designation whatsoever in advance of Sunday night in North Texas.

Philadelphia will not only try to keep Dallas at arm’s length in that game but also halt a 14-game Cowboys winning streak at home and a five-game skid by the Eagles at AT&T Stadium.

Slay has missed one game this season, the Oct. 15 loss to the New York Jets, when second-year player Josh Jobe took over for him on the outside.

This time it would be Ricks, a lengthy cornerback at 6-2, 188 pounds who has impressed the coaching staff with his willingness to play in the slot when called upon. 

Much like last season when then-undrafted rookie safety Reed Blankenship lapped veteran K’Von Wallace by impressing former secondary coach Dennard Wilson, Ricks has done the same this year by edging past Jobe and more highly-touted rookie Kelee Ringo at outside CB.

SI.com’s Eagles Today asked Ricks if things had changed at all this week with Slay battling through his injury.

"Yeah, starting to work a little back at [outside] corner with Slay a little banged up but that's not knowing how things are gonna be on Sunday,” the rookie said. “So I have been working both [inside and out] all year so it's really not too much different."

Multiple injuries at the slot position have resulted in the Eagles’ throwing just about everything against the wall and moving forward the hope is that veteran Bradley Roby will settle things down inside.

It is notable, though, that the defensive coaches were so impressed with Ricks’ willingness to help where needed that they’ve kept him in the mix with a handful of snaps each week.