Riq Woolen arrived in Philadelphia with an established reputation as a disruptive press cornerback, but the Eagles’ newest defensive back is using training camp to prove he can offer much more. The 6-foot-4 Woolen has been working extensively in off coverage, which requires him to read routes, transition out of his backpedal and close space without immediately disrupting receivers at the line of scrimmage. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has been encouraged by that development.
“For a guy as tall as he is, he’s got good movement,” Fangio said. “It’s not press or nothing. He can play off, he can mirror routes, he can come out of a break. I think it’s good he’s working on that.”
Woolen’s combination of height, length and speed made him one of the
NFL’s most intriguing cornerbacks during his four seasons with Seattle. He intercepted six passes as a rookie and earned a Pro Bowl selection, demonstrating the playmaking ability that Philadelphia hopes to add alongside Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.
Fangio, however, wants defensive backs capable of executing multiple techniques. If Woolen can become equally comfortable playing off the ball, opponents will have a more difficult time anticipating Philadelphia’s coverage based on his alignment.
“It’s easy to always do what you’re good at, and you need to work at deficiencies that you may need to incorporate into your game,” Fangio said. “He’s done a good job of that.”
Woolen is a clear starter at cornerback on the outside, and his press ability remains a significant asset. Developing greater comfort in off coverage could make him a more complete cornerback while giving Fangio additional flexibility with his calls and disguises.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles CB Riq Woolen is working to erase a perceived weakness
