PHILADELPHIA -- Mitchell White signed with the Eagles in January after four seasons in the Canadian Football League, and when he did, he realized he had the number of a new teammate saved in his phone.

So, White said, he called it.

Eagles cornerback and fellow CFL alum Aaron Grymes picked up, and the two have leaned on each other ever since. Both corners shined during team drills at Tuesday's practice, and Grymes said he's been happy to help White assimilate into the locker room this spring, even as they approach a competition for a potential roster spot.

"He just asked me a little about the defense and what to expect and things like that," Grymes said of his call with White earlier this offseason. "And since he's been here, we've hung out, we've talked about football stuff and we've talked about off the field stuff -- just anything."

Grymes signed with the Eagles during the 2016 offseason after helping the Edmonton Eskimos win the 2015 Grey Cup, and he spent a chunk of the year on the Eagles' practice squad. In mid-November, he earned a short-lived promotion to the active roster and played nine special teams snaps in a win over the Falcons.

Despite a lack of in-game highlights, Grymes spent a full year learning the ins and outs of the Eagles and reacclimating to NFL game, which is played on a thinner field than the CFL version of the sport.

MORE: White explains how the CFL game differs from the NFL, and what it means for corners making the transition

He said he's offered White, a former Michigan State cornerback, some advice as he regains his footing in an NFL locker room. And aside from that, Grymes has enjoyed growing closer with a player who followed a similar career path.

Grymes said he and White exchanged numbers last year after they worked out together for the Arizona Cardinals, and they crossed paths several times in Canada, where White played for the Ottawa Redblacks.

"I've hung out with him after games in Edmonton before," Grymes said. "So I knew him a little bit."

"We just kind of hit it off," White said in January. "I always respected him as a player, and he ended up being a really cool guy."

Now, the former CFL All-Stars are aiming to attract attention from Eagles coaches and remain with the team into the fall. Grymes, who played college ball at Idaho, impressed at Tuesday's OTA practice, nabbing the only 11-on-11 interception and covering Eagles receivers in the slot and on the outside.

White's speed stuck out in individual drills, and he said in January he signed with the Eagles despite offers from four other teams, because Philadelphia provided the best chance to earn a spot on the 53-man roster.

Grymes said the bond between the CFL products hasn't doused the intensity of their competition at cornerback. With Jalen Mills, Rasul Douglas and Patrick Robinson seemingly locked into roster spots, White and Grymes appear to sit among a large group competing for one or two roster spots.

They'll have to fend off more experienced challengers like Ron Brooks and Dwayne Gratz and second-year professional C.J. Smith if they hope to earn a place on the team.

Still, White and Mitchell will have opportunities to make an impression; the Birds have struggled to find consistent play at cornerback over the past several seasons, and the team's top decision-makers have made clear they're on the hunt for improvement at the position. Grymes and White are aiming to provide it.

"I want [White] to be his best, because that's going to push me to be my best," Grymes said. "I want him have the best shot of making the team, just like I want for myself. The better he does, the better I'm going to have to do. And vice versa. So, we just try to push each other."

-- @AaronKazreports