PHILADELPHIA – “Thank you but sorry Jalen Mills,” CJ Gardner-Johnson wrote on social media.
Mills is a free agent and was the Eagles’ draft pick in 2016. Still, he just turned 30 in April and can play safety, which could be a sore spot for Philadelphia.
Gardner-Johnson doesn’t think so.
“No disrespect, but we’re in good hands!” Gardner-Johnson told X. “We have young guys ready to do the same things he did years ago.”
Mills, a seventh-round pick, played five years with the Eagles before moving to the New England Patriots for three more years. The New York Giants waived Mills shortly after he showed up to camp this summer with a calf injury.
One of the Eagles’ young players is Reid Blankenship, who is readying his third NFL season and second as a full-time starter after leading the team in tackles (108) and interceptions (3) last year.
Second-year third-round pick Sidney Brown was placed on the physically unable to play list (PUP) at the start of training camp on July 24 and remained there throughout the summer. He is clearly not ready to play and will likely remain on the PUP until the new year, and who knows how long after that.
Undrafted second-year free agent Tristin McCollum has also made a strong case for a spot on the roster.
Then there are the two veterans who converted from cornerback, Avonte Maddox and James Bradberry.
Mills is another converted cornerback who was the Eagles’ starter during their Super Bowl-winning season in 2017 and just turned 30 in April.
And Gardner-Johnson is 26 years old, but he’s a veteran entering his sixth year in the NFL.
Frankfurt, Germany, Nov. 12, 2023: New England Patriots cornerback Jalen Mills (2) celebrates with cornerback Myles Bryant (27) after an interception against the Indianapolis Colts in the third quarter during an International Series game at Deutsche Bank Park. Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports/Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
When he signed a three-year deal to return to Philadelphia after spending last year with the Detroit Lions, some thought he might play in the slot, but the Eagles have multiple slot options and he’s been a safety since the start of camp.
When you ask his teammates what he brings to the team, the word that always seems to come up is “toughness.” He’s also a very jovial player, though he doesn’t talk much to the media.
Gardner-Johnson held just one press conference this summer, and his responses to reporters’ questions were sometimes argumentative and at other times confident, even boastful.
“When you hear him go out there playing defense, he has that kind of confidence,” Blankenship said. “I don’t say too much, but I’m like, ‘Hey, I gotta say something.’ I’ve said it to him in the locker room before, like, ‘Hey, you be loud and I’ll defend you on everything.’ So it’s good to see him have that competitive spirit and the guys know that and we value that.”
Gardner-Johnson missed a few practices late in camp with a shoulder injury but is back and healthy now. He hung out with Brown and cheered on the defensive players while watching his teammates work on the sideline.
“He’s got great energy,” Slay said. “Great ball hunter, great player. … He brings a lot of confidence and effort. He goes out there every day competing to be the best he can be. So I’m the quiet voice, he’s the loud voice, and we have a good combination that helps lead this team to a successful season.”
The Eagles’ depth would be tested if something were to happen to Blankenship or Gardner-Johnson and they were forced to miss one or more games.
Would Mills contribute to that depth? Maybe he could, even if Gardner-Johnson doesn’t think so.
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