Jakorian Bennett shares a welcomed take on his mindset towards competition

USA Today

10 hours ago

Jakorian Bennett offers a respectable explanation of his attitude in competition for a starting job.
During an August 5th trade that no one saw coming, two NFL teams on opposite ends of the spectrum made two very different statements about the same player. The Las Vegas Raiders had some new guys in their secondary that they were excited about. That seemingly made Jakorian Bennett expendable. The Philadelphia Eagles had an issue. They weren't getting what they expected from two cornerbacks on their roster, leading Howie Roseman to make a call and break some new territory.
Trading Thomas Booker IV to the Raiders for Bennett marked Roseman's first-ever trade with the 'Silver and Black'. In a moment, Bennett was strapped with varying emotions.
A Raiders team no one expects to compete had, in essence, stated they didn't need him. The contending Eagles thought he was good enough to give a look and see if he could help them. Welcome to life in the NFL.
Jakorian Bennett offers a take Eagles fans will find satisfying.
Bennett had no time to sit in confusion and stew about Vegas' decision. There was no time to ponder the possibilities in Philadelphia. Instead, he had to race the clock. He had five hours to pack. He boarded a red-eye flight with a one-way ticket to the City of Brotherly Love.
He was present at the next Eagles practice but didn't participate. He sat out of the preseason debut and began practicing with his new teammates two days later. Fortune was turning in his favor.
Somehow, Bennett had gone from not being good enough for the Raiders roster to entering a competition for a starting job with the most recent Super Bowl champion. He saw his first in-game action in the second preseason game vs. the Cleveland Browns, but he, Kelee Ringo, and Adoree' Jackson have yet to place a stranglehold on a starting job at outside cornerback.
Now comes the plot twist. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio met with the media ahead of their Monday morning practice. He announced Cooper DeJean will take reps at outside cornerback, and the CB2 competition will stretch into the third preseason game.
Bennett was one of the players who met with the media after practice. He was complimentary of his teammates for helping him get acclimated. He offered the expected statements about learning the playbook and feeling great. He says he wants to "Keep chopping".
Attitudes like that will endear you to the Philly faithful, but earning a roster spot will come down to one thing. Is he one of the six best players on the Eagles roster?
Attitude will only carry someone so far. The Eagles invested in him because they see there's something in him. They believe he might be.
It's crunch time, and Ringo, Jackson, and Bennett have a chance to make a statement. All seemingly have one more shot to distance themselves and prove they can start. It should be an interesting week of workouts.