While we all understand the Philadelphia Eagles have 2 of the NFL’s elite young cornerbacks in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, one thing we shouldn’t try to do is compare this year’s Eagles secondary to last year’s Super Bowl-winning one.
Even if Mitchell, DeJean and players like cornerback Kelee Ringo, safety Reed Blankenship and rookie safety Andrew Mukuba make huge leaps, the depth from one year ago just isn’t there. Not in terms of veterans, at least, with C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Darius Slay out the door via trades and free agency.
The Eagles would be smart to try and add some of that depth back to their defense, and could probably do so by signing free agent cornerback and former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore, who is openly shopping for a team.
“”I want to play this year, it’s just got to be the right situation,” Gilmore said on The Money Down Podcast on July 3. “It’s got to be the right situation for me. I’m not just gonna sign anywhere. … I still love the game. I still can contribute. It’s just got to be the right place.”
If Gilmore values winning as much as he does a paycheck — he has approximately $116 million in career earnings — then the Eagles should have a chance to sign him.
Gilmore could also be in play for another month-plus before he picks a team. He played for the Minnesota Vikings in 2024, but didn’t sign a 1-year, $7 million contract with them until August 18.
Gilmore Firmly in Journeyman Stage of Career
Gilmore, 33 years old, has been one of the NFL’s elite shutdown cornerbacks since he was drafted by the Buffalo Bills out of South Carolina with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft.
Gilmore made his first Pro Bowl with the Bills in 2016 then signed a 5-year, $65 million free-agent contract with the New England Patriots in 2017. He earned his first NFL All-Pro nod in 2018 as he helped lead New England to a Super Bowl win over the Los Angeles Rams. In n 2019, he became the first cornerback in a decade to be named NFL Defensive Player of the Year after he led the NFL with 6 interceptions, included 2 returned for touchdowns.
Gilmore was traded to the Carolina Panthers in 2021, signed a 2-year, $20 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts in 2022 and was traded to the Cowboys in 2023. The Vikings were his fifth team in 5 years.
With Minnesota in 2024, Gilmore made 15 starts and finished with 59 tackles, 9 pass deflections and 1 interception.
Eagles Have Faith Mitchell, DeJean Are The Future
While DeJean has stolen most of the headlines in the offseason thanks to his 38-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Super Bowl LIX win over the Kansas City Chiefs, it’s Mitchell who should be considered the real prize.
Mitchell was the Eagles first round pick (No. 22 overall) out of Toledo in the 2024 NFL draft and became a plug and play starter at one of the outside cornerback spots opposite Slay.
While DeJean remains a toss up if he’ll play slot cornerback, outside cornerback or maybe even safety in the future, Mitchell is embedded at outside cornerback, where he should be an NFL All-Pro in the near future.
