A YEAR ago, after giving up 30 touchdown passes, after allowing a league-high 72 pass plays of 20 yards or more, after finishing 31st in the league in pass defense, the Eagles blew up their defensive secondary and tried to rebuild it.
They got rid of three of their four starters. They fired their defensive backs coach, John Lovett.
They signed two cornerbacks - Byron Maxwell and Walter Thurmond - in free agency, giving Maxwell a six-year, $63 million contract with $25 million in guarantees. They spent three of their seven draft picks on defensive backs, including a second-round selection (Eric Rowe).