The Philadelphia Eagles made a decent effort in free agency to improve a sluggish defense in 2023 under the leadership of Sean Desai and Matt Patricia. The Eagles signed Bryce Huff, Zach Baun, Devin White and C.J. Gardner-Johnson to help them get back on track. Gardner-Johnson would be a great addition to a secondary program that has had its fair share of coverage in 2023.
But Philadelphia could always use another experienced playmaker next season alongside Darius Slay, James Bradberry and Gardner-Johnson. The good news for the Eagles is that former Dallas Cowboys cornerback Stephon Gilmore is still available on the open market while the second wave of free agency is underway.
The 33-year-old cornerback just finished a productive 2023 season with the Dallas Cowboys, filling in for Trevon Diggs who suffered a torn ACL. Gilmore started all 17 games for the Cowboys, totaling 68 tackles, 13 pass deflections, and two interceptions. Despite being on the wrong side of 30 points, Gilmore shows no signs of slowing down. The 6-foot-1 cornerback held career highs in pass coverage, posting career-highs on target completion percentage of 55.8 and passing rate of 82.7.
Gilmore allowed four touchdowns last season (second-most), but the Cowboys had a number of underwhelming games. If the Eagles move Bradberry to that slot or release him, Gilmore could be a perfect option to play opposite Darius Slay on the perimeter. We know new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio wants to make a push next season, so he needs a few cornerbacks who can hold their own on the outside.
Spotrac projected Grimoire’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. But as free agency progresses, Gilmore’s price could drop with the NFL Draft in the rearview mirror.
