Eagles, Patrick Robinson reportedly discussing contract extension

It’s been largely assumed that veteran cornerback Patrick Robinson will leave the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency this offseason, but maybe that won’t be the case.

Robinson and the Eagles have begun talks on a long-term contract extension, according to a report from NJ.com.

Robinson was obviously a fantastic pickup for the Eagles in free agency last year. Philadelphia signed the journeyman veteran to a one-year deal worth up to a mere $1 million.

Despite mightily struggling in training camp, Robinson went on to have a fantastic season as the Eagles’ slot corner. It was truly a career year for him.

Robinson made one of the biggest and most memorable plays of the entire season with his interception return against the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game.

If money wasn’t an issue, it’d be a no-brainer to keep Robinson around. In addition to being a trusty slot corner, he also showed the versatility to contribute at outside cornerback when called upon in 2017.

The reality is that money is an issue, however. As we all know, the Eagles have the lowest amount of cap space in the NFL. Robinson, who turns 31 in September, should be looking to cash in while his value is at an all-time high.

Maybe Robinson really likes it in Philadelphia and is willing to stay on a reasonable deal. I think it’s hard to count on that since he could make considerably more money by testing free agency, but we’ll see.

Another complication in keeping Robinson around is that it potentially blocks playing time for at least one of the Eagles’ young corners. There’s been speculation that Jalen Mills could move into the slot so that 2017 second-round pick Sidney Jones can play on the outside. If Robinson comes back, who is the odd man out in the Eagles’ corner group?

NFL free agency officially begins in less than two weeks on Wednesday, March 14. We’ll see how everything shakes out soon enough.