EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - For all the changes the Eagles made to their secondary this offseason, there are still unresolved questions about the group with the preseason over and only 10 days separating the team from the start of the regular season.
The starting four defensive backs are set, but they didn't participate Thursday in a 24-18 preseason loss to the New York Jets. Although the unit appears improved, a small sample size of preseason plays is far from enough evidence to say there will be an upgrade.
But there was essentially only one place to go after last season's disaster, and on paper, cornerbacks Byron Maxwell and Nolan Carroll are an improvement over Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher, and safety Walter Thurmond, despite playing the position for the first time in his career, seems a more capable complement to Malcolm Jenkins than Nate Allen.