Cornerback Mario Goodrich, who was on and off the Eagles’ 53-man roster and practice squad over the last two years, has found a new home, and it’s in the NFC East.
Goodrich, released by the Eagles Tuesday to make room for interior lineman Nick Gates, has been claimed by the Giants, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported Wednesday.
Goodrich began last year in a prominent role on the Eagles’ secondary. When Avonte Maddox got hurt in a Week 2 game against the Vikings, Goodrich replaced him as the main slot and had a very tough game, allowing seven completions for 78 yards and a touchdown on seven targets.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
He played only 31 defensive snaps the rest of the year before getting released and then rejoining the Eagles on the practice squad. Among 159 cornerbacks who played at least 50 snaps last year, his 149.2 opposing passer rating was 3rd-highest in the NFL. Overall, he allowed 118 yards on 10 targets, which were all completions.
When the season ended, the Eagles signed Goodrich to a futures contract, but with the current state of the cornerback position – Kelee Ringo in Year 2, rookies Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean expected to play significant roles, former Colt Isaiah Rodgers now in the mix, Maddox and Zech McPhearson back healthy, former Division 2 star Shon Stephens signing – there was no role for Goodrich on the roster.
Giants defensive passing game coordinator Jerome Henderson spent the 1995 season with the Eagles. He played in 15 games in the regular season and scored a touchdown when he recovered Dennis Lundy’s fumble in the end zone after Lundy fumbled a Tom Hutton punt.
The Eagles are loaded at cornerback and still have 12 corners on the 90-man roster even after releasing Goodrich: Darius Slay, Ringo, Rodgers, Mitchell, DeJean, Maddox, Eli Ricks, McPhearson, Josh Jobe, Tyler Hall, Stephens and Parry Nickerson. James Bradberry and Mekhi Garner both moved from corner to safety before training camp.
Philadelphia Eagles
Goodrich, 6-foot, 185 pounds, was undrafted out of Clemson, and he’ll have a much better chance at making the Giants’ roster than the Eagles’.
He joins former Eagles Jalen Mills and Jack Stoll on the Giants’ roster. Mills, a starter on the Eagles’ Super Bowl champions in 2017, is entering his ninth NFL season.
Subscribe to Eagle Eye anywhere you get your podcasts:
Apple Podcasts | YouTube Music | Spotify | Stitcher | Art19 | RSS | Watch on YouTube