PHILADELPHIA – On the hottest day of training camp, Vic Fangio started a fire and kicked this training camp party up a notch on Day 5, the Eagles’ first in full pads. The Eagles’ defensive coordinator never minces words, never holds back. In his crosshairs on Tuesday, he was asked about the experience that Adoree Jackson brings to the cornerback spot.
“The first few days out here, he was kind of like he didn’t know he was out there,” he said. “The ball wasn’t going his way at all, and then (Monday), he had a couple balls thrown his way and he did very well. He had a very good day.”
Pretty tame so far, but wait, there’s more.
“It’s too early to say what his experience is or isn’t right now,” said the DC. “He’s played a good bit of ball, but I think this is the place where he’s got to show who he is and be the player hopefully that people have always thought he could be.”
Jackson has been on two teams before arriving on a one-year, free-agent contract. He has played in 97 games, but has just four interceptions, though one of those he returned 76 yards for a touchdown in 2023, his third of four seasons with the New York Giants. Before New York, he was in Tennessee, where he played four years with the Titans after they drafted him 18th overall in 2017.
Fangio clarified his remark about “this is the place he where he’s got to show who he is.”
“I don’t know if I think it’s the place,” he said. “I think it’s time for him to show that. In Tennessee, when it came time to re-sign him after his contract was up, they didn’t. The Giants, his contract was up, they didn’t. It’s time to show who he is or who he isn’t.”
Fangio added that he hadn’t watched a lot of tape on Jackson, but general manager Howie Roseman wanted to sign him.
“When Howie wants to sign somebody, it doesn’t matter what I say,” said the DC. “So, we just took him in.”
He was joking. Maybe. Maybe not.
Thing is, Jackson has looked pretty good to some of the media, but Fangio pointed out that there are things many don’t see when they watch practice.
“A lot of the times it’s easy for you guys to see when a guy makes a good play, but there’s a lot of times where they’ve got a good play going and the ball doesn’t go there so you don’t really know it and vice versa,” he said. “They might have a bad down going and the ball doesn’t go there so it doesn’t get exposed. So it’s just consistent overall good play. Just because the ball did or did not go his way, those plays are just as important in evaluating.”
Fangio was much more glowing about two other cornerbacks – Kelee Ringo and rookie Mac McWilliams.
“Mac’s got some good football instincts,” he said. “He’s got to learn the finer points of what we’re doing all the time. He’s a little hit and miss with that right now, but that’s to be expected. But I do like the player. I think he’s got good skill and he’s got a little football savvy to him, which if you don’t have that, it’s hard to coach that.”
On Ringo: “He’s doing fine. He’s competing. He’s in great shape, and probably this is his first real opportunity, and I think he’s trying to do his best to take advantage of it, and he’s right there.”
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