Section 215
Fansided

Eagles Should Steal This Pro Bowl Free Agent From the Cowboys

The Philadelphia Eagles have done a solid job addressing their defensive needs, but they could always look to add more playmakers in the secondary.

By Jovan Alford

Washington Commanders v Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Commanders v Philadelphia Eagles / Mitchell Leff/GettyImages
facebooktwitterreddit

The Philadelphia Eagles have done their due diligence in free agency to upgrade the defense, which fell off in 2023 under the direction of Sean Desai and Matt Patricia.

The Eagles signed Bryce Huff, Zach Baun, Devin White, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson to help get them back on track. Gardner-Johnson will be a nice addition to the secondary, which had its fair share of issues in coverage in 2023. 

However, Philadelphia can always use another veteran playmaker to play alongside Darius Slay, James Bradberry, and Gardner-Johnson this coming season. The good news for the Eagles is that former Dallas Cowboys cornerback Stephon Gilmore is still available on the open market with the second wave of free agency underway.

The 33-year-old cornerback is coming off a solid 2023 season with the Dallas Cowboys as he stepped in for Trevon Diggs, who suffered a torn ACL. Gilmore started in all 17 games for the Cowboys and had 68 combined tackles, 13 pass deflections, and two interceptions.

Even though he’s on the other side of 30, Gilmore hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. The 6-foot cornerback held his own in pass coverage, posting a 55.8 completion percentage allowed on targets and an 82.7 pass rating when targeted (career-high). 

Gilmore also gave up four receiving touchdowns (second-highest) last season, but the Cowboys had more than a few blowout games. 

If the Eagles moved Bradberry into the slot or released him, Gilmore could be the perfect option on the boundary, playing opposite Darius Slay. We know that new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will want to bring pressure this upcoming season, so he needs a few cornerbacks who can hold their own on the outside. 

Spotrac projected Glimore’s calculated market value as a one-year, $11.1 million contract, which shouldn’t be a problem for the Eagles, who still have $35 million in cap space. However, as free agency progresses, Gilmore’s price tag could go down with the NFL draft in the rearview mirror.

More Eagles news and analysis:

feed

Home/Philadelphia Eagles