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Justin Gilbert could redeem himself with Philadelphia Eagles

By Anthony Fabrikant

May 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Justin Gilbert (Oklahoma State) poses for a photo with his jersey after being selected as the number eight overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft to the Cleveland Browns at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
May 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Justin Gilbert (Oklahoma State) poses for a photo with his jersey after being selected as the number eight overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft to the Cleveland Browns at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /
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Redemption may be a possibility for the Eagles in the form of Justin Gilbert.

In 2016, some of the worst production for the Philadelphia Eagles came at the cornerback position. In many situations, players are drafted into the NFL, placed in a bad situation and are never able to recover. Cornerback Justin Gilbert fits that mold.

The former eighth-overall selection was cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers recently after just one season with the team. His first two seasons were spent as a member of the Cleveland Browns. History appears to be repeating itself. Running back Dion Lewis is a former member of both the Eagles and Browns. He, too, knows about bouncing around. This season, he landed with the New England Patriots and is now a world champion. Could Gilbert write a similar story?

History isn’t on his side

Eagles
Recent history has shown that signing a corner in free agency isn’t always the answer. This situation isn’t exactly the same. Gilbert doesn’t call for a ton of debilitation. A one-year or two-year deal seem to be the likely scenarios. /

If the deal was to go down, Philadelphia could continue improving their cornerback position. Is it out of the realm of possibility to believe he could prove to be an upgrade from Nolan Carroll or Leodis McKelvin?

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The few, maybe just one, bright spot(s)

Gilbert’s best moment in his young career came as a rookie. Towards the end of Gilbert’s rookie season, he picked off one of the NFL’s most-talented quarterbacks, Andrew Luck, and took that pass back for a touchdown. In Gilbert’s first two games of his career, he accumulated 14 tackles, and the Browns had a record of 1-1. Outside of that, Gilbert’s rookie campaign was one of struggle. His teammates supported him, but they could see it too.

Former teammate Joe Thomas caught the league’s ear with his comments on Gilbert. Those comments showed disbelief in Gilbert and his staying power. This could have been fueled by stories of him falling asleep during team meetings. Many NFL players fall short of expectations, but stories of redemption drive the league as well. If the Eagles were to pursue Gilbert, they could find a diamond in the rough.

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