Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Eagles Add An Edge

Posted March 13th, 2026 | 2 Comments »

Howie Roseman finally addressed the edge rusher position on Thursday night. It wasn’t a big, splashy move, but looks like another smart addition at a good cost. The Eagles haven’t had a lot of cap room so they’ve had to be selective shoppers.

This isn’t as fun as signing Trey Hendrickson or trading for Maxx Crosby, but Ebiketie is a good scheme fit and the cost was certainly right. He fits a profile the Eagles like. Ebiketie is a former high pick (second round) and he’s just 27 so he’s still in his prime. The Falcons let him go because they felt he wasn’t good enough. The Eagles are hoping Ebiketie will be able to reach his potential with better coaching and in a better scheme fit.

Ebiketie had 6 sacks and 12 QB hits in both 2023 and 2024. Those numbers fell off last year, with just 2 sacks and 6 QB hits. Atlanta added a couple of rushers early in the draft and they became the key pass rushers.

The Eagles had Ebiketie in Philly for a pre-draft visit back in 2022 so this is a player they’ve had interest in for a while. When you watch him play you can see why Vic Fangio would like him. Ebiketie is a good run defender. He will take on blockers and set the edge. He was dropped into coverage on a regular basis in Atlanta so he’s comfortable when asked to do that. And he is an athletic pass rusher with the ability to affect the QB.

There is a lot to like in those clips. Ebiketie reminds you of Nolan Smith when you watch that. Some will say this is just like adding Josh Uche or Azeez Ojulari, neither of whom worked out well last year. I disagree with that. Uche had a total of 5 sacks and 9 QB hits in the two seasons before coming to Philly. He fell out of favor in NE and then struggled to get on the field in KC. Ojulari had injury issues throughout his time with the Giants. He also didn’t play much on STs. Ebiketie has. He’s been a starter and a role player. He understands how to contribute to the team.

While the move makes sense on paper, there is no guarantee it will work. Yoa  never know how guys are going to perform on a new team and in a new scheme. We certainly saw that with Uche and Ojulari last year. Uche had his moments, but Ojulari was a complete disappointment. Ebiketie feels like a safer bet.

The Eagles now have Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt and Ebiketie. Brandon Graham might return. That would give the team a solid group of rushers. Howie could still look to add a top talent if the price is right. The addition of Ebiketie means the Eagles aren’t desperate. That could help if they want to negotiate with the Vikings about trading for Jonathan Greenard.

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This gives the Eagles more cap room this year. They could spend that on Dallas Goedert. Today is the deadline for the Eagles to have to re-sign him or to deal with his dead cap money. Keeping him makes a ton of sense from a financial perspective.

The Eagles might also need to add a WR in free agency. It sounds like the NFL insiders expect AJ Brown to be traded, even if it doesn’t happen until June. How is this for an interesting scenario?

This is going to be one long offseason.

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I wrote about the signing of CB Jonathan Jones last night. I focused on him being primarily in the slot. It turns out he’s got more outside experience than I realized. I still don’t know if Fangio would want him outside at just 5-9, 183. That kind of size is usually a better fit for nickelback. Still, it is good that he’s got the versatility to play inside or outside. He also had a bit of safety experience. The coaches will really value his versatility.

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More Moves

Posted March 12th, 2026 | Comments Off on More Moves

The Eagles still haven’t done anything that would be considered a splashy move, but they did some things on Thursday to help the roster.

This is an interesting move. Howie Roseman said this offseason that the team last year didn’t have good enough depth at CB. They obviously don’t want to run into that situation again. Jones is only 5-9, 183 and mostly plays in the slot. The Eagles already have Cooper DeJean there and Michael Carter as his backup. It is possible that Carter could be moving to safety. The team let Reed Blankenship leave and hasn’t added anyone at that position. I still think re-signing Marcus Epps would be a smart move.

The addition of Jones also means that Mac McWilliams can focus on playing outside corner. Jones is 32 and has played in 144 career games. He spent most of that time with the Patriots. One of his coaches was Mike Pellegrino, who is now the Eagles secondary coach. Jones has a little experience at playing safety. I don’t think the Eagles will put him there, but they do like versatile DBs.

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This was a bit of a surprise. Some thought the Eagles might look to go cheaper at the position. Mann is a good punter and holder so the move makes sense from a talent perspective. You just wonder if it is wise from a cost standpoint because the Eagles have so many stars to pay. Every dollar counts.

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Back to safety for a minute. Two veterans signed elsewhere on Thursday. CJGJ went to Buffalo. Jaquan Brisker went to Pittsburgh. Both were cheap deals so the Eagles must not have had interest in either player.

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The Eagles save $3.3M in cap space this year so that basically paid for Mann. The revised contract feels like Dickerson preparing to retire. He will play this season. We’ll have to wait and see about 2027. I would assume that would be based on how Dickerson feels after another year of football as well as how he performs. I don’t think he’d want to stick around if he’s miserable or struggling.

I was already projecting the Eagles to draft a guard somewhat early this year. After this news I think it is almost a sure thing. Obviously it depends how the board breaks. I do think there should be good targets in rounds 2-4.

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Clint Hurtt was at Clemson to check out some prospects.

DT Peter Woods
Edge TJ Parker
DT DeMonte Capeheart

Woods has a legit chance to be a Top 20 pick. I don’t think the Eagles would spend a key resource on another DL with the guys they already have in place.

Parker will go somewhere in the 20-45 range. He could be of interest depending on what happens with the edge position in free agency.

Capeheart is a Day 3 pick. He could be a player the Eagles like if they want better depth inside. He is a good run defender.

The Eagles send their scouts to almost every Pro Day around the country. That is information gathering more than specific interest. Pay attention when a position coach is there. That means the team does have interest in a player or two.

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