If JaCorey Shepherd is to remain the slot cornerback by the time the season starts, the Brandon Boykin trade was one that made the Eagles weaker on defense.
That isn't a knock on Shepherd or to suggest that he can't eventually surpass Boykin as a slot corner. But to expect the rookie to match his predecessor without having ever played the position would be unrealistic.
The good news for the Eagles is they have other options - if only those other options were currently available. The team has no immediate plans to move cornerback Byron Maxwell inside or safety Walter Thurmond back to corner because doing so would create larger holes elsewhere.