Philadelphia Eagles rookie cornerback JaCorey Shepherd is showing a very promising performance this offseason but he will not be able to bring that in the upcoming season as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) last Monday revealed a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
Shepherd, who was getting first-team reps in the Eagles' nickel package, suffered the injury after colliding with running back Darren Sproles in the sidelines according to NFL.com.
The Eagles recently traded nickel cornerback Brandon Boykin to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2016 fifth-round draft pick which may change to a fourth-round pick based on playing time.
Trading Boykin is shaping up to be a crucial decision for Philadelphia following Shepherd's ACL injury.
According to Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, the Steelers were looking to acquire Boykin and they made offers during the weekend of the National Football League (NFL) Draft but were turned down.
Philadelphia then drafted Shepherd and fellow cornerbacks Eric Rowe and Randall Evans.
Shepherd's great performance during the organized team activities (OTAs) and minicamp made Kelly and the Eagles decide to trade Boykin to the Steelers.
According to ESPN, Boykin's departure left Shepherd to take his spot in the nickel package since the coaching staff loved his performance in his senior year at Kansas as they watched it on video.
The possible replacement for the 22-year-old football player as the Eagles' nickel cornerback is 2014 fourth-round pick Jaylen Watkins.
Shepherd is not the only player for the Eagles to suffer a torn ACL, as linebacker Travis Long also sustained the injury during the first week of training camp while participating in a non-contact drill.
These are unfortunate setbacks for the Eagles who are trying to return to the playoffs in the upcoming 2015 season after missing it last year finishing with a 10–6 regular season record.
The Eagles will be heading to the Georgia Dome to open their season against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 13.
