Adrian Fedkiw
Philadelphia Eagles rookie cornerback Jalen Mills has shined during the spring and the beginning of training camp, but took some lumps during Thursday night’s preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz wasn’t upset, though. He talked about Mills’ play:
No, not really. I think I put him in the same category as a lot of those linebackers. He was out there covering just about all those kicks. It’s tough, you’re running 60 yards down the field, and then all of a sudden you’re out there playing defense again. We were putting him in some tough situations. We were calling a little bit to try to evaluate some guys. We weren’t protecting guys. [We are] not disappointed in him at all. It was a tough situation. It was what it was.
I wasn’t disappointed in Mills’ play at all, it was a bit expected. As much hype as he’s gotten, he’s still a rookie cornerback and the transition from college to the pros for that position is the toughest on defense in my opinion. Mills still has plenty of potential and Philadelphia should not overreact over one so-so performance.