Free Agency Preview

Free agency can be a valuable tool for NFL teams. The 2017 Eagles were coming off a 7-9 season and had some key holes on the roster. Howie Roseman used free agency to add key players, both starters and backups, that helped the team go win the Super Bowl.

Alshon Jeffrey and Torrey Smith instantly rebuilt a woeful WR corps. LeGarrette Blount became the team’s leading rusher. Patrick Robinson became an outstanding nickelback. Chris Long proved to be a key pass rusher off the bench and great team leader. You may recall that Nick Foles turned out to be pretty important as well.

Jeffrey was the only high level addition, but the class turned out to be excellent overall. Free agency is about more than stars. You need to find the right players to improve your roster and help the team.

The Eagles have cap space and roster holes. Howie needs to make good choices this year in order to put the Eagles back into the Super Bowl conversation. There are good options at most positions. The question is how aggressive the Eagles want to be financially. They will target a couple of players and really go after them. After that, I expect shopping to be more cost-conscious and careful. There are a lot of free agents this year and more could be on the way today. Some teams are still in negotiations with players. If the players refuse cuts/re-worked deals, they could be hitting the market.

This will be an important week for the Eagles. Let’s hope Howie and his guys get it right.

Roster Holes

• RB
• Backup QB
• Third WR
• RG
• Edge rusher (if a trade happens)
• DL (if Fletcher Cox retires)
• LB
• SAF
• CB

RB

The Eagles could re-sign D’Andre Swift. There are bigger names on the market (Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry), but Swift would be more affordable and might make more sense because of that. Barkley would be a ton of fun in this offense. I just don’t see the Eagles spending big on him. Henry is one of my favorite players and I would love seeing him run over defenders while wearing green, but his best days are behind him. Austin Ekeler played for Kellen Moore last year and Tony Pollard played for him before that. Both backs would make some sense.

The Eagles have good options here.

Backup QB

Marcus Mariota didn’t play much in 2023. He looked okay. The Eagles could certainly bring him back. They could opt for another veteran QB. The Eagles believe in having a good backup. Jacoby Brissett is a free agent and we know Nick Sirianni loves him. There are a slew of other veteran QBs available. The question would be what are the Eagles looking for. Gardner Minshew was a pocket passer. Mariota was more of a mobile QB.

The X-factor is Tanner McKee. He didn’t play at all last year, but he did look good in the preseason. Did the Eagles see enough to take a chance with him? The price would be right and that angle can’t be ignored. I’m guessing the Eagles go with a veteran. McKee might be a year away from serious consideration for number two.

Third WR

AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith are stars. The Eagles need depth at WR. They could draft one, but I would think they’ll add at least one veteran. The challenge is finding someone who is talented, but also doesn’t need a lot of touches. The Eagles feed the ball to their stars. Backup receivers aren’t going to get many catches. They must still be willing to block and contribute on special teams. Finding those guys is hard.

RG

I don’t think the Eagles will address the O-line in free agency. They have big money in both tackles and will need to extend Dickerson soon. That means you need to go cheap somehwere. With the best OL class in recent memory, focusing on the draft makes sense. It would be fun for the team to sign Jon Runyan Jr for RG. Then draft Jeremiah Trotter Jr and we’ve got a good start on the legacy Eagles.

Edge

Bryce Huff is the name being associated with the Eagles right now. He is a Top 15 free agent despite only having seven career starts. Huff is an ascending player and hitting the market at the perfect time. If the Eagles spend big, Huff makes a lot of sense.

https://twitter.com/nyjets/status/1735103057648824401

The Eagles will have competition for him so they might need a Plan B. Danielle Hunter is the top rusher available. He’ll turn 30 this year and it feels like the Eagles are focused on younger guys. Jonathan Greenard is set for a big payday. Brian Burns got the franchise tag in Carolina. The Eagles would have to trade for him and then sign him to a big deal, but he’s a top notch pass rusher. The Eagles won’t go bargain hunting for a pass rusher. If they want one, they’ll spend big.

DL

Fletcher Cox has retired. The Eagles could throw big money at Christian Wilkins, who had 9 sacks while playing for Vic Fangio last season in Miami.  Justin Jones is coming off a career year (4.5 sacks, 17 QB hits). He’ll be 27 this season. Javon Kinlaw is an interesting young player who could be worth taking a chance on. Injuries have limited his career, but he was healthy last year and showed real potential. There are some good options if the Eagles want to sign someone for depth. Greg Gaines has been a solid starter and effective backup. The Eagles have enough youth at DL they could go for an older player, but I don’t know they’d want to spend much on someone 30 or older.

LB

The Eagles say all the right things about Nakobe Dean. Actions will speak louder than words. We’ll see if they go for a key starter in free agency. Patrick Queen is the big name on the market. I don’t see him as a likely target. Blake Cashman is coming off the best year of his career. He led the Texans in total tackles and is in the prime of his career. I like him quite a bit. Frankie Luvu is interesting. He isn’t a polished player, but makes splash plays and is productive. He could be a lot of fun. Jordyn Brooks is a highly productive player in the prime of his career. Azeez Al-Shaair is coming off a career year. He’s lacks ideal size, but is tough and physical. Devin White is only 26, but already has 75 starts and has been the MLB on some outstanding defenses. The fact Tampa is willing to let him walk makes you a bit nervous. Willie Gay is an athletic playmaker, but has issues as well. He’s a risk/reward player. Josey Jewell will turn 30 in December, but played for Fangio in Denver and would certainly make some sense. He also wouldn’t break the bank. Tyrel Dodson only has 15 career starts, but he’s coming off a career season. He would be an interesting player to take a chance on. There are multiple veterans who are good, but I left them off due to age. It will be interesting to see how much the Eagles are willing to spend at LB. Last year’s struggles should help the Eagles to realize they need to invest more resources at LB.

SAF

The Eagles have a lot of options here. Reed Blankenship gives them an effective young starter. Sydney Brown could be the other starter long term, but he’s hurt. Going for Justin Simmons would give the Eagles a player who can make plays and knows the Fangio scheme. Xavier McKinney is a young guy hitting the market off his best year. He can play in the box or cover deep. He had a pair of impressive INTs in the season finale win over the Eagles.

24 years old.

Played at Alabama.

Two-time captain.

Playmaker in the secondary.

Xavier McKinney should be the first call the Eagles make when legal tampering begins. pic.twitter.com/SAnOMyIdHj

— Joe Giglio (@JoeGiglioSports) March 5, 2024

Old friend CJGJ is hitting the market. He could be of interest if the price is right. Kamren Curl is a young, talented player who could be of interest. He hasn’t had an INT since 2020, but he had 115 tackles last year and has solid cover skills. Julian Blackmon had 4 picks last year for the Colts. He’s a young playmaker on the rise. Jordan Fuller is another young playmaking safety who could be of interest. He played in a version of the Fangio scheme and that could make him appealing. Jordan Whitehead has been a good starter for the Bucs and Jets and is still in his prime. Alohi Gilman had a breakout year in 2023. He had a hand in 7 takeaways. You want safeties who make big plays.

CB

Weak free agent class. The Eagles could try to find a veteran bargain, but there aren’t many good options. L’Jarius Sneed could be available. He’s tagged so the Eagles would have to trade for him and  then give him a big contract. Maybe they would go for a nickelback. That is a clear hole on the roster right now. There is a good group of CBs in the draft so I tend to think the Eagles will focus on that.

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