Free Agency

Posted: March 15th, 2020 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 9 Comments »

Teams should go into free agency with three goals. First, they look for impact players. Next they focus on finding effective starters to fill holes in the lineup. Finally, they look to improve the depth of their team.

Let’s take a look at the Eagles and the free agent class of 2020.

Elite Players (not tagged)

DE Jadeveon Clowney

WR Amari Cooper

I don’t anticipate the Eagles pursuing either guy. Clowney would be an odd fit after vicious hits on Eagles QBs in consecutive years. There is no disputing the fact he impacts games, but his production is awkward. As for Cooper, he’ll get huge bucks and he’s a guy you build the passing game around. I think the Eagles need playmakers more than they need a workhorse receiver.

While I don’t see the Eagles going after these players, never say never. Howie Roseman is aggressive and isn’t afraid to spend big.

*****

QB

Carson Wentz is completely healthy and entering the prime of his career. The Eagles have a developmental prospect in Kyle Lauletta. There is a need for a backup QB. The team could re-sign Nate Sudfeld. They could bring him back as the #2 or #3 guy. The team may prefer a backup with starting experience. Do not bring Josh McCown back. He was a great story in 2019, but his age showed when he got on the field. You want someone younger as your primary backup.

Marcus Mariota

Case Keenum

Trevor Siemian

Mariota will likely want to go somewhere he’s got a chance to compete for a starting spot. Howie should at least call his agent to see if there is any interest. Keenum was good enough to get the Vikings to the NFC Championship in 2017 (can’t remember what happened). He’s been with 4 teams in 4 years and will be joining a new team soon. Siemian could be a guy you sign and let him compete with Sudfeld for the backup job.

RB

The Eagles have a potential star RB in Miles Sanders. Boston Scott proved to be a good role player. Things are less certain after that. Corey Clement is talented, but has struggled to stay healthy. The team likes Elijah Holyfield, but they have only seen him in a few practices. The Eagles could bring back Jordan Howard. He was terrific prior to his injury. I don’t know if the team wants to pay a backup RB much money so Howard may move on. The team might look for someone in the draft, but there are some FA options of interest.

Peyton Barber

Spencer Ware

LeSean McCoy

Barber is a poor man’s Howard. He could be of interest if the Eagles want a proven runner with size who comes at a cheap price. Ware is also a bigger back. He’s coming off ankle and shoulder injuries which ruined 2019. Ware is a good receiver and is more athletic than you might expect. He could make a lot of sense. I would have little interest in bringing McCoy back, but Howie may feel differently.

WR

Big changes are coming. With the passing of a new CBA, Alshon Jeffery is on his way out. Nelson Agholor won’t be re-signed. That leaves DeSean Jackson, Greg Ward and J.J. Arecga-Whiteside as the primary receivers. Guys like Deontay Burnett and Robert Davis will compete for spots. Expect the Eagles to pursue talent in free agency and the draft.

Robby Anderson

Breshad Perriman

Devin Funchess

Rashard Higgins

Demarcus Robinson

Tajae Sharpe

Demaryius Thomas

I wrote a long piece on the veteran options for the Eagles. I don’t expect the team to go after Anderson. I think Perriman and Funchess make more sense.

TE

The Eagles have the best TE duo in the league in Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert. Josh Perkins did some good things late in the year. The team needs to add someone to challenge for the third TE spot. They could sign a veteran or use a draft pick.

Logan Thomas

Nick O’Leary

Clive Walford

Thomas is a former QB who converted to TE and has shown potential as a role player. He would be interesting as a #3 TE. O’Leary is a career backup who has been an effective receiver. Walford was a productive backup several years ago, but he’s struggled with injuries the last two years. If healthy now, he could be good to bring in for competition.

OL

The Eagles would seem to be set with starters: Dillard-Seumalo-Kelce-Brooks-Johnson. Depth is another story. Last year Dillard was the backup OT and Big V played both G and T. Dillard now moves to starting and Big V is likely to leave in free agency. The Eagles have Matt Pryor as a backup OG and RT. They have Nate Herbig, who could be a backup OG and C. Sua Opeta could also be in the mix to be a backup on the inside.

The team could sign a veteran swing tackle. They could consider upgrading at LG and making Seumalo the top backup, but that doesn’t feel likely. The Eagles could try to find depth in the upcoming draft, especially if they want an OT. There is also a possibility they try to sign a veteran backup at G/C.

OT Cordy Glenn

OT Rashod Hill

OT Dennis Kelly

OT Mike Remmers

C/G Joe Looney

G/C Evan Boehm

G/C B.J. Finney

Here are a couple of names of possible backups who could be of interest in free agency. None of these guys is compelling. Most aren’t good enough to regularly start, but they could be effective backups/spot starters.

DE

Starters Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett give the Eagles a good pair of pass rushers. There are a lot of bodies behind them, but we don’t know what the Eagles think of them. Josh Sweat is on the rise, but hasn’t played well enough to make the team have complete faith in him. Howie Roseman says Genard Avery has explosive traits and the team traded for him to be part of the 2020 rotation. Then you have Shareef Miller and Joe Ostman, a pair of completely unproven players. Daeshon Hall got hurt late in the year so I’m not adding him to the mix.

Carl Nassib

Robert Quinn

Emmanuel Ogbah

Nassib makes a lot of sense to me. I think he would be a good scheme fit and he’s about to turn 27 so he’s in his prime. Nassib is big at 6-7, 275. The Eagles could use a big DE. Quinn is about to turn 30, but he is coming off an 11.5 sack season. He will likely be looking for a starting role and starting level money. The Eagles would be smart to at least call his agent. Ogbah has been a starter and backup. He offers size and experience and he’s in his prime.

DT

When healthy, Fletcher Cox and Malik Jackson should be an elite pair of DTs. Cox was banged up early last year and Jackson missed almost the entire year so we didn’t get to see just how good they could be together. The Eagles need a third DT to add to the mix, preferably a young player who can rush the passer. This could come in the draft, but there are some free agent options. I do think the team should re-sign Hassan Ridgeway. He is good for depth, but there is still a need to add a starting caliber DT to the group.

Maliek Collins

Quinton Jefferson

Vernon Butler

Beau Allen

Adam Gotsis

Collins is a young, productive pass rusher. I think 4-3 teams will be offering him good money, but if somehow that isn’t the case, the Eagles should absolutely give him a call. Jefferson can play DE or DT. Butler is a former first round pick and he’s coming off his best season. He would be worth a look, but only if the price is right. Allen isn’t much of a pass rusher, but he was a good backup/spot starter for the Eagles in 2017. Gotsis is a player the team liked in the 2016 draft. He could be a cheap addition.

ILB

We don’t know if the Eagles need a starting MLB. T.J. Edwards showed real promise last year, but that was a limited role. At the very least, they should want competition for depth. Alex Singleton is in the mix for that.

Cory Littleton

Joe Schobert

Nick Kwiatkowski

Joe Walker

B.J. Goodson

Littleton is a terrific LB and would be an excellent fit for the Eagles. He would probably be OLB in the base and ILB in the nickel. Littleton can cover, tackle and make plays. Would the Eagles pay big bucks for a LB? That’s the real question. Schobert is a MLB who can play the run and also make plays in coverage. He picked off 4 passes last year. Both players will have a lot of suitors.

Kwiatkowski has been a productive backup and starter. He would make a lot of sense for the Eagles. Walker is a former Eagle. He struggled with injuries, but had a solid year for the Cardinals last season. He is a reliable tackler, solid athlete and shows coverage ability. Goodson has started for multiple teams. Nothing special.

LB

Nate Gerry will handle one OLB spot. The other is up in the air. The Eagles hoped that would be Kamu Grugier-Hill’s, but it sure seems like that ship has sailed.

Darron Lee

DeVondre Campbell

A.J. Klein

Nick Vigil

Kevin Pierre-Louis

Lee is a terrific athlete and would make a lot of sense for a team wanting more speed. Campbell is versatile. He can play SAM or MLB. Klein is instinctive and productive. He could play inside or outside. Vigil is coming off his best season. He is better in coverage that you might expect. Pierre-Louis is a backup and STer.

S

Mystery position. Rodney McLeod is a free agent and not likely to come back. Malcolm Jenkins wants a new deal. It would seem like the Eagles need to get that done, but they haven’t to this point so you wonder what’s going on. The Eagles could need one or two safeties. There is also the question of whether Avonte Maddox moves to FS. I think that should happen. We’ll have to wait and see if the team agrees.

Anthony Harris

Damarious Randall

Tre Boston

Vonn Bell

Tony Jefferson

Karl Joseph

Harris is a late bloomer. He picked off 6 passes last year and is hitting the market at the right time. Randall is at his best playing deep. He has also started at CB in the league so he has the versatility the Eagles like. Boston plays well every year and never seems to get the credit he deserves. Bell is probably best suited for a Cover 2 scheme, but he can be effective in the box. Jefferson and Joseph are more SS types than deep safeties.

I left off Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. He struggles as a tackler and that’s not something the Eagles should have any interest in.

CB

Help. The Eagles need at least one starter. Ronald Darby won’t be brought back. Jalen Mills is a free agent. I expect the Eagles to re-sign him, but things have been quiet on that front. The Eagles have good depth in the slot.

Byron Jones

James Bradberry

Bradley Roby – Re-signed

Trae Waynes

Kendall Fuller

Logan Ryan

Ross Cockrell

Prince Amukamara

Baushad Breeland

Desmond Trufant

I wrote a piece on the FA corners the Eagles should target. Jones should be a priority signing. Once you get past the top few, there are still options, but they have some issues. Cockrell isn’t a great athlete. Amukamara is a good player, but he’s older. Breeland lacks top speed.

The Falcons just cut Trufant. Mike Kaye has a good piece up on him and why Trufant would make sense as an Eagles target.

***

The Eagles need to focus on younger players. They can afford to add a couple of older players if they are in an area that needs it, but the team needs to err on the side of caution.

Forget about comp picks. The Eagles will be aggressive in free agency this year. They need to add talent more than they need to stockpile picks for the 2021 draft.

_


9 Comments on “Free Agency”

  1. 1 PornDodo said at 9:05 PM on March 15th, 2020:

    You’re great. Learn from you!

  2. 2 Eagles News: Es gibt eine „starke Stimmung in der Liga, die Howie Roseman aufrütteln wird“. | DE24 News said at 8:43 AM on March 16th, 2020:

    […] Freie Agentur – Iggles BlitzIch schrieb ein Stück über die FA-Ecken, auf die die Eagles zielen sollten. Byron Jones sollte eine Prioritätssignierung sein. Sobald Sie die ersten paar erreicht haben, gibt es immer noch Optionen, aber sie haben einige Probleme. Cockrell ist kein großartiger Athlet. Amukamara ist ein guter Spieler, aber er ist älter. Breeland fehlt die Höchstgeschwindigkeit. […]

  3. 3 Eagles News: There’s a “strong vibe around the league that Howie Roseman is going to shake things up” – Bleeding Green Nation – All Of Your Football News In One Place said at 9:24 AM on March 16th, 2020:

    […] Free Agency – Iggles BlitzI wrote a piece on the FA corners the Eagles should target. Byron Jones should be a priority signing. Once you get past the top few, there are still options, but they have some issues. Cockrell isn’t a great athlete. Amukamara is a good player, but he’s older. Breeland lacks top speed. […]

  4. 4 Eagles News: There’s a “strong vibe around the league that Howie Roseman is going to shake things up” – Yo Tipster! said at 9:41 AM on March 16th, 2020:

    […] Free Agency – Iggles BlitzI wrote a piece on the FA corners the Eagles should target. Byron Jones should be a priority signing. Once you get past the top few, there are still options, but they have some issues. Cockrell isn’t a great athlete. Amukamara is a good player, but he’s older. Breeland lacks top speed. […]

  5. 5 Sports News - Eagles News: There’s a “sturdy vibe spherical the league that Howie Roseman goes to shake issues up” - JTVX NEWS -WE ARE UPADATE Breaking News, US News,WORLD NEWS,Entertainment News said at 10:09 AM on March 16th, 2020:

    […] Free Company – Iggles BlitzI wrote a chunk on the FA corners the Eagles must target. Byron Jones wants to be a precedence signing. As soon as you procure previous the tip few, there are smooth choices, but they’ve some disorders. Cockrell isn’t a large athlete. Amukamara is a valid participant, but he’s older. Breeland lacks top flee. […]

  6. 6 Eagles News: There’s a “strong vibe around the league that Howie Roseman is going to shake things up” | NewsGerian said at 10:42 AM on March 16th, 2020:

    […] Free Agency – Iggles BlitzI wrote a piece on the FA corners the Eagles should target. Byron Jones should be a priority signing. Once you get past the top few, there are still options, but they have some issues. Cockrell isn’t a great athlete. Amukamara is a good player, but he’s older. Breeland lacks top speed. […]

  7. 7 Eagles News: There’s a “strong vibe around the league that Howie Roseman is going to shake things up” – businessjobnews said at 10:53 AM on March 16th, 2020:

    […] Free Agency – Iggles BlitzI wrote a piece on the FA corners the Eagles should target. Byron Jones should be a priority signing. Once you get past the top few, there are still options, but they have some issues. Cockrell isn’t a great athlete. Amukamara is a good player, but he’s older. Breeland lacks top speed. […]

  8. 8 Eagles News: There’s a “strong vibe around the league that Howie Roseman is going to shake things up” – Bleeding Green Nation – S1MPLE LIFE. said at 11:24 AM on March 16th, 2020:

    […] Free Agency – Iggles BlitzI wrote a piece on the FA corners the Eagles should target. Byron Jones should be a priority signing. Once you get past the top few, there are still options, but they have some issues. Cockrell isn’t a great athlete. Amukamara is a good player, but he’s older. Breeland lacks top speed. […]

  9. 9 Eagles News: There’s a “strong vibe around the league that Howie Roseman is going to shake things up” | www.martdaro.com said at 2:37 PM on March 16th, 2020:

    […] Free Agency – Iggles BlitzI wrote a piece on the FA corners the Eagles should target. Byron Jones should be a priority signing. Once you get past the top few, there are still options, but they have some issues. Cockrell isn’t a great athlete. Amukamara is a good player, but he’s older. Breeland lacks top speed. […]