December 12, 2016
Charles Krupa/AP
Could Stephon Gilmore be the next Bills corner that Jim Schwartz covets?
A few weeks ago, we took a look ahead to the 2017 wide receiver options in free agency who might make sense for the Philadelphia Eagles this upcoming offseason. Today we'll look at some cornerbacks who could interest the Birds.
To note, we'll start off with just three. There are certainly more options out there for the Eagles to consider (and we may add to this list down the line), but the three players below stand out to me as intriguing options.
Because the Eagles signed three former Bills defenders last offseason (including two cornerbacks) who played for Jim Schwartz in Buffalo, it's easy to label Gilmore as a logical Eagles free agency target this upcoming offseason. And, well, that's what we'll do.
Gilmore was a first-round pick (10th overall) of the Bills in 2012. Last offseason, the Bills exercised their "fifth-year option" on him, and he counted for $11,082,000 against the Bills' salary cap in 2016. Should the Bills need to use their franchise tag on Gilmore this offseason, it would cost them significantly more. Last year, the NFL's franchise-tag amount for cornerbacks was a hair under $14 million, a number that will rise in 2017.
Gilmore is a good corner, but he is probably not worth what it would take to keep him under the franchise tag. He excelled under Schwartz in a scheme in which the Bills' front four was able to generate pressure without the help of blitzing, however, he has been less effective (although still good) in Mike Pettine's and Rex Ryan's schemes, which put more pressure on cornerbacks.
Gilmore liked playing for Schwartz, as evidenced by the following quote the day Schwartz was carried off the field after a win over the Lions, via Kyle Meinke of MLive.com.
"We play for him. The defense plays for him. And we wanted to win for him," said Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who picked off Stafford once. "He's a great coach, and we wanted to play for him. He told us before the game that it would mean a lot to him to get a win."
The two corners the Eagles signed this offseason from Buffalo were disappointments. Leodis McKelvin is likely to be one-and-done in Philly, while Ron Brooks suffered a season-ending injury early in the season. Therefore, the Eagles have to be careful about simply giving Jim Schwartz players he wants from here on out.
Like Gilmore above, Kirkpatrick was a first-round pick (17th overall) in the 2012 NFL Draft. The Bengals exercised their fifth-year option on Kirkpatrick this past offseason, which put him on their books at $7,507,000 in 2016. Over his five-year career with Cincinnati, Kirkpatrick has not lived up to his draft status, as he did not become a full-time starter until the 2015 season. He has since started 27 games for the Bengals.
Kirkpatrick is a legitimate NFL starter, but certainly not a franchise-tag candidate by any stretch, so there's a decent chance he could become available, especially considering the Bengals used their 2016 first-round pick on CB William Jackson III.
We asked Bengals analyst and quality Twitter follow Joe Goodberry for a breakdown of Kirkpatrick. He obliged:
He's having his best year but he was absolutely dreadful last season. Only two years as full time starter. They used to ask him to press a bunch, but his hands and feet got so bad that he was getting penalized too much and they've backed him off that. When his back is to the ball, he doesn't do a good job and can panic and get grabby, but in zone and off-zone especially, he can make some fantastic plays on the ball. He's really developed his ball skills. He's a better athlete than when he came out. Plays LCB only. Mostly zone. Hit or miss as a tackler. Gambler. Can be leggy and awkward because of it. High energy. Emotional.
As we noted previously, Jim Schwartz highly values competitive corners, which was likely why a guy like Eric Rowe, who had a more calm demeanor, was shipped off to New England. The "high energy, emotional" side of Kirkpatrick is likely to appeal to Schwartz.
Like Gilmore and Kirkpatrick above, Hayden too was a former first-round pick (12th overall) in the 2013 NFL draft. This past offseason, the Raiders declined to pick up their fifth-year option on Hayden.
At the University of Houston, Hayden was injured during a practice on a fairly innocuous play and was rushed to a hospital. It was determined that his vena cava, the main blood vessel that brings blood from the lower extremities back to the heart, was nearly completely torn off the back of the heart. For those of you who are not doctors, having a torn vena cava is not ideal for staying alive. However, the Raiders took him 12th overall anyway based on outstanding game film.
Hayden was often injured, and he struggled his first three seasons in the NFL, but began to settle in as a slot corner for Oakland this season, playing with "aggressiveness and confidence."
In addition to finding corners would can play outside, the Eagles could also look to add a slot corner, as Ron Brooks will be returning from a serious injury. Even if Brooks can make a full return, the Eagles were forced to move Malcolm Jenkins to a slot corner position because they did not have enough cornerback depth to fill that role when Brooks went down.
To note, Hayden suffered a "substantial hamstring injury," causing the Raiders to shut him down for the season. Because of Hayden's injury history, he should only be considered as a bargain buy.
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