After the first wave of free agency, the Philadelphia Eagles have roster holes at safety, linebacker, and defensive tackle. While the defensive tackle need could be filled in the upcoming draft, there are still plenty of available options for the Eagles to solve the safety and linebacker needs.
And for a team that hasn’t really valued either position highly, the importance of finding a player that won’t cost a lot is of the highest priority for the Eagles.
Luckily for Philadelphia, there is a hybrid free agent that shouldn’t cost too much and grades very highly at where the Eagles are most vulnerable in the backend. It just so happens they have a previous relationship with him too.
The Green Goblin’s return to the Eagles?
Jalen Mills, aka the “Green Goblin” left Philadelphia after the Eagles upgraded their cornerback position and had since had a solid run with the New England Patriots. His firey personality fit well with the city and his work ethic drove him to be a nice addition to the championship puzzle that was the 2017 season.
While Philadelphia continues to look for ways to find bargain players at the safety spot, and also looking to lock up Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Mills could provide the additional safety help that could be vital to another title run in the city.
The good news is that Mills not only has played safety in the NFL but he’s done so at a high level. When Mills was moved to safety in 2020, he had a Pro Football Focus cover grade of over 67. His overall safety grade was above average at 69. Both grades are actually higher than Gardner-Johnson’s in 2022.
Now, this isn’t to say that the Eagles should bring in Mills to replace CGJ. Far from it. But in a replacement for Marcus Epps, Mills could provide the physicality and toughness needed for an in-the-box safety like that.
Mills has also expressed on Twitter that his preferred position was in fact safety, so could a reunion in Philadelphia be possible?
In the end, Mills might be the perfect partner to CGJ, and provide the team with enough depth in the back end should an injury fall to the older players like Slay or Bradberry.
Fans in Philadelphia might be ready to turn the page from the Green Goblin, but he might just be perfect for what they need at the position.
Photo by Michael Workman/Icon Sportswire
