PHILADELPHIA -- The early consensus regarding first-round rookie Quinyon Mitchell is he's a quiet guy.
Mitchell has let his play on the field do the talking, respecting what the veterans have to say in order to improve his game. That's why Mitchell trash talking A.J. Brown sent shockwaves throughout the locker room.
"The first words I heard from him were, 'Hey, that route was trash,' Brown said with a smile. "I said, 'What? You don't even talk, and you're talking trash?'"
Brown was more than pleased to hear that coming from a rookie, showcasing the confidence Mitchell has in his own game.
"It was funny to hear from him," Brown said. "I told him, 'Alright, I like to see that. I want to see you step up.' He's not going to be playing against me. He's going to be playing against other guys, and I want to see him hold his own.
"I told him, 'Alright, you took the first step. Now you gotta back it up. You're going to have to walk that walk.' I've been looking forward to getting some reps against him."
While Mitchell's veteran teammates were surprised at his trash talk, his play on the field has warranted such praise.
"With Q, that boy -- he's as advertised," said Eagles pass rusher Brandon Graham. "As far as seeing him out there playing fast. You can see why he went first round. Cooper [Eagles rookie Cooper DeJean], same thing. He's smart. Picking up some of the little stuff that some of the guys do.
"I was kinda surprised to see him talking stuff to A.J. one day. I was like 'okay, I like his attitude.'" You just wanna see him keep winning."
The Eagles haven't hesitated to put Mitchell in with the first-team defense, as he's taken some reps at outside cornerback opposite of Darius Slay and has been playing the slot in some packages. Mitchell is getting an opportunity to show the Eagles why he should start Week 1, especially with the future of James Bradberry uncertain.
Brown is all for being challenged by his young counterparts. That makes him better.
"I want somebody to talk noise to me," Brown said. "Slay and James [Bradberry], those guys are chill, laid-back, good guys. But you can't really talk trash to them. They're just going to do their job and say, 'I got you' or something like that.
"The young guys are hungry. That's good. It's not just for our room. It's for the team, and for their room, too, to raise the level of expectations."
