Pending free agent Jalen Mills hopes to prove his mettle in the Eagles’ new defensive scheme | Early Birds

Good morning, Eagles fans. Happy Super Bowl week! A good amount has happened since the last time we graced your inbox. Nick Sirianni had his introductory news conference, the Eagles made several coaching hires, and this year’s version of the Senior Bowl took place.

Sirianni’s staff is starting to fill out. The team hasn’t named its running backs coach, but most of the other key position-coaching roles are filled. One of those new coaches, defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, will have tough decisions to make about scheme and personnel next month. More on that later.

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— EJ Smith (earlybirds@inquirer.com)

Jalen Mills wants to remain an Eagle next season, and it should come as no surprise.

It’s not to say Mills wouldn’t have options going into free agency next month. The converted safety played well in his first year at a new position and even proved capable at cornerback when injuries required him to move back to the outside. If for no other reason, Mills’ desire to stay with the team that drafted him might simply come down to his intention to keep his neon green hair and his nickname, the “Green Goblin,” intact.

“When you got fans that passionate, why not want to play here?” Mills said on CBS Sports HQ on Tuesday. “I’m the Green Goblin. I love it in Philadelphia. I won a Super Bowl with them.”

Mills’ return to the Eagles might be a bit more complicated than that. Gannon’s track record with the Indianapolis Colts would suggest the Eagles are going to use less single-high safety looks than they did with Jim Schwartz at the helm. Gannon was the secondary coach for the Colts the last three seasons, and his groups had a tendency to shift heavily from man and zone coverage based on weekly matchups, but it’s safe to assume he’ll utilize more two-deep safety formations than Mills has played in during his pro career.

It’s unclear if Mills could stick as strictly a deep safety. He played the highest percentage of his snaps in the box last season, but had his share of plays as a deep safety as well. According to Pro Football Focus, Mills played 329 snaps in the box compared to 236 on the back end. He also played 227 as an outside cornerback.

Mills conceded that the scheme will likely be different next season, but he’s hoping to get the chance to prove himself in Gannon’s system.

“When you’re talking about a guy like that, it’s a lot of two-high safety. I kind of feel that’s where the league is going,” Mills said. “He does a great job at giving guys more opportunities in two-high.”

While it would be an adjustment, Mills should be able to make a solid case. The 26-year-old might have enjoyed some added job security from Schwartz’s appreciation for his competitive spirit, but he’s still a versatile defensive back in a scheme that will be looking for just that.

He signed last offseason a one-year, $2 million deal under the agreement that he’d switch positions to replace veteran safety Malcolm Jenkins. The Eagles, who are cap-strapped, could presumably get him back for a similar deal considering the market for safeties will be more preoccupied with coming free agents such as Justin Simmons, Anthony Harris, and Marcus Williams, among others.

Who will be the last Eagles player standing from the super bowl team? — from Trey (@bigslacker321) on Twitter

Great question, Trey. This time last year, the answer would have been Wentz by a landslide, which goes to show you how quickly things can change. Keep that in mind if the names I mention here turn out to be way off.

The answer, ignoring how unexciting it might be, is probably Rick Lovato. He’s only 28, he’s good at his job, and he will enjoy the job security that most long snappers do. I know, that was a little anticlimactic, so I’ll go through some non-specialists with the best chance, too.

Isaac Seumalo is probably the leader among the rest of the field. He’s 27 and a competent starter. He’s dealt with some injuries but nothing debilitating. He’s good enough to keep his job for a long time but not so good that he’d fetch a competitive market in free agency and price the Eagles out of his services. A sharp regression and/or sudden ascension from a younger player could ruin this prediction, but it’s the most likely right now. Derek Barnett is in the running, but the Eagles will have to decide if they want him back in the $10 million fifth-year option year, sign him to a team-friendly extension, or release him to save money.

Wentz could return next season, turn things around, and spend the next 10-15 years with the Eagles, too, but as it sits right now, I’d say Fletcher Cox, Lane Johnson, and Brandon Brooks are all neck-and-neck for the next likely. One of them could try the Jason Peters route and play well into his 30s, but I’m not sure which one that would be.