Ready…Set…Tamper

The offseason really gets going today when legal tampering starts at noon. Normally this is a very exciting time for Eagles fans. Howie Roseman is an aggressive GM and goes after star players. Today will likely be less exciting, with the Eagles focused more on keeping their own guys than chasing free agents.

Let’s look at the projected starting lineup before we talk about options. It is always helpful to know what you have and what you need.

WR – AJ Brown
WR – DeVonta Smith
WR –
TE –
LT – Jordan Mailata
LG – Landon Dickerson
C – Cam Jurgens
RG – Tyler Steen
RT – Lane Johnson

Edge – Nolan Smith
DT – Jalen Carter
NT – Jordan Davis
Edge – Jalyx Hunt
LB – Zack Baun
LB – Jihaad Campbell
SS –
FS – Drew Mukuba
CB – Quinyon Mitchell
CB –
NB – Cooper DeJean

You can see that there are some holes in the lineup. The Eagles could bring back their own guys at most of those spots. Receiver is the one place where they may want to upgrade on Jahan Dotson. He was adequate, but didn’t stand out in any way.

Now let’s talk about the open positions.

WR – It is really tough to discuss this without knowing how the AJ Brown situation will play out. If he’s back, all you need is a complementary player. If you move AJ, there is a major hole that needs to be addressed with a key resource (high pick or key free agent/trade). For now, let’s assume AJ stays. The Eagles might prefer to add a speedy receiver to help stretch the defense. Fran Duffy floated Brandin Cooks as an interesting option. He’s a proven veteran with good speed and the cost would be reasonable. Romeo Doubs might cost more than they want to spend, but he knows Sean Mannion and the system he wants to run. Gabe Davis doesn’t have top speed, but he was a good downfield receiver for the Bills and would be an interesting option.

TE – The cupboard is almost bare. The Eagles need to add several players. Expect this to be a combination of free agents and draft picks. Most people expect Dallas Goedert to leave in free agency. The Eagles do have some interest in bringing him back, but the price would have to be right. If DG leaves, there will be some options to replace him. Isaiah Likely is an undersized receiving TE who could be an interesting fit in the new offense. If they prefer more of a true 2-way TE, Cade Otton might make sense. David Njoku will turn 30 this summer. I don’t know that the Eagles would want an older player, but he’s a good receiver with consistent production.

Edge – The team has Smith and Hunt so there isn’t technically a hole in the lineup. This is a spot where you need more than just starters and the focus is on trying to re-sign Jaelan Phillips. Ian Rapoport just said there is “significant momentum toward a deal” for the Eagles to keep Jaelan Phillips in Philly. That would be a great start to the offseason. There is still no guarantee this gets done. If the Eagles have to replace Phillips they could go for veteran Bradley Chubb who has played for Vic Fangio. Odafe Oweh was really good for the Chargers last year and is in the prime of his career. He wouldn’t be cheap, but could be a nice addition.

S – Reed Blankenship has started the past three seasons for the Eagles. They would probably love to keep him around. The key here is cost. Blankenship is a solid starter, but he’s not a guy you can overpay. There may not be a great market for him so it’s possible the team can work something out with him. Blankenship will want to see what is available. This is a spot where the team could focus on the draft. There is a good safety class. I think the team would be smart to bring back Marcus Epps regardless. Sydney Brown is still in the mix, but he’s yet to show he can be more than a good STer.

CB – I don’t know what to expect here. Adoree Jackson started slow last year, but played better as the season went along. There is an argument to be made for bringing him back. The cost would be reasonable and he knows the system. He is older and his best days are behind him so it’s not an ideal move. EJ Smith floated the idea of the team going after Alontae Taylor, who is one of the top corners on the market. That would give the Eagles a dominant coverage group. I don’t think they’ll spend big, though, so that feels unlikely. There are good corners in the upcoming draft and the team could go for one of them, even as early as the first round. If the Eagles want to take an interesting chance, Kader Kohou played for Fangio in Miami. He’s coming off an ACL injury (last summer) and will be 100 percent for the upcoming season.

There is more uncertainty heading into this offseason than in any other that I can think of. There are a lot of moving pieces and it is really hard to predict what is going to happen because of that. The Eagles have some cap space, but not a lot. They have to be smart shoppers. That could mean a slow start to the offseason. But Howie is Howie and that means you never know what he’ll pull off.

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Here is an AJ update.

From The Insiders on @nflnetwork, If they #Eagles don’t trade A.J. Brown in the near future — and right now the momentum seems to have stalled — it’s not for lack of discussion and attempted creativity to manage a huge salary cap hit. pic.twitter.com/rFPGzb52Uj

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 8, 2026

Still a very confusing situation.

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