March 10, 2017
After releasing starting cornerback Leodis McKelvin earlier this offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles will also be without their other 2016 starting corner next season, as Nolan Carroll has signed with the Dallas Cowboys. Carroll will actually receive a fairly hefty raise from his 2016 pay, based on the initial reports:
#Cowboys are signing cornerback Nolan Carroll to a 3-year, $10 million deal with $4M in the first year, source said.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 11, 2017
For the third time in the last five years, the Eagles will enter a new season with a new pair of starting corners:
| Eagles Week 1 starting corners | CB1 | CB2 |
| 2017 | ??? | ??? |
| 2016 | Leodis McKelvin | Nolan Carroll |
| 2015 | Byron Maxwell | Nolan Carroll |
| 2014 | Cary Williams | Bradley Fletcher |
| 2013 | Cary Williams | Bradley Fletcher |
| 2012 | Nnamdi Asomugha | Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie |
Carroll had a nice 2015 season, which ended when he suffered a serious injury on Thanksgiving. He returned to the Eagles last offseason on a modest one-year deal worth $2,047,500, and was eased back into action throughout OTAs, minicamp, and training camp. In 2016, Carroll's play fell off from 2015.
In 2017, Carroll should enter camp fully healthy, however, he's beginning to get a little long in the tooth, as he is now 30 years old. Carroll is a hard worker, but he's simply not a good enough option at this stage in his career to start on the outside. The Eagles seemingly never made much of an attempt to retain Carroll.
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