With the combine starting this week the Eagles will be getting another look at future prospects and players ahead of the 2026 NFL draft.
And while the draft doesn’t begin until April 23rd. The Eagles still have a lot of work to do in the coming weeks with over 20 free agents set to hit the market with less than two weeks until the legal tampering period(march 9th) and free agency(march 11th) open
2026 Free Agents
Below is a list of the 20 players the Eagles will need to make a decision on in the coming weeks:
TE Dallas Goedert
S Reed Blankenship
ED Jaelan Phillips
ED Azeez Ojulari
WR Jahan Dotson
DL Brandon Graham
P Braden Mann
ED Joshua Uche
CB Adoree Jackson
TE Kylen Granson
G Matt Pryor
RB A.J. Dillon
OT Fred Johnson
LB Nakobe Dean
ED Ogbonnia Okronkwo
G Brett Toth
S Marcus Epps
QB Sam Howell
TE Grant Calcaterra
FB Ben VanSumeren
There’s a few positions that stand out the most. Including the Tight End room with 3 of the main rostered tight ends set to hit the open market. leaving E.J. Jenkins, Cameron Latu and Jaheim Bell as the only TE signed through the 2026 season.
The other major position of concern is Safety. Losing a defensive captain in Blankenship could be a heavy blow to the Eagles strong defensive unit. With Mukuba returning from a fractured ankle, and Sydney Brown having not taking a leap when given playing opportunity leaves the Eagles secondary thinner than it was last season.
There might be a handful of moves to come during the offseason, to nobodies surprise.
Approaching The Draft
The Eagles are always an active team during the offseason. After winning the Super Bowl in 2025, the Eagles made a total of 6 trades before and during the draft. The first 2 being moves that acquired draft capital moving C.J. Gardner-Johnson as well as Kenny Pickett. The next 4 took place during the draft that included moving up to acquire Jihaad Campbell, as well as trading up and back in the draft. Securing players like Ty Robinson and Mac McWilliams.
Similarly, the Eagles made two trades prior to the 2024 NFL draft, acquiring Kenny Pickett and moving on from Haason Reddick. They went on to make an additional EIGHT trades during the draft that helped them acquire players like Cooper DeJean and multiple trade backs that helped re-stock future drafts while acquiring Jalyx Hunt, Will Shipley and more.
With a few weeks to go before players are able to make agreements with other teams. Who do you think the Eagles will re-sign before the legal tampering period begins?
In March, the Philadelphia Eagles traded Haason Reddick to the Jets. In return, they received the Jets’ third-round pick in 2026. That third-round pick will become a second-round pick if Reddick plays at least 67.5 percent of the Jets’ defensive snaps and he has 10 or more sacks in 2024.
Reddick’s career snap count percentages and sack stats:
Haason Reddick
Snap count %
Sacks
2017
42%
2.5
2018
76%
4
2019
61%
1
2020
79%
12.5
2021
83%
11
2022
74%
16
2023
74%
11
As you can see, Reddick played at least 67.5 percent of his teams’ snaps and posted at least 10 sacks in each of the last four seasons. However, he held out from the entirety of Jets training camp, the preseason, and now into the regular season. Still, we’ll track Reddick’s snaps and sacks all season, as Howie Roseman will hope that Reddick and the Jets can work something out. The conditions of that trade are still salvageable, but only if Reddick returns to the team very soon.
The Detroit Lions suffered a devastating blow to their defense in their Week 6 win over the Dallas Cowboys when star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson went down with what has been confirmed as a season-ending leg injury. Hutchinson was on pace for a career year, and his absence leaves a huge gap in Detroit’s pass rush. Now, the Lions may have an opportunity to make a blockbuster move to fill that void.
According to a recent report from Dianna Russini, the New York Jets have given star pass rusher Haason Reddick and his representatives a short window to seek a trade. Reddick, who is represented by Drew Rosenhaus, has already begun reaching out to potential teams to gauge interest in a deal.
The Jets have given Haason Reddick and his reps a short window to seek a trade, per sources. His new representation, Drew Rosenhaus, has been reaching out to teams over the last 12 hours to gauge interest.
Why Haason Reddick Could Be the Perfect Fit for Detroit
Reddick, who has not yet played a snap for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024, is one of the most feared pass rushers in the NFL. His explosiveness and ability to get to the quarterback make him an ideal replacement for Hutchinson, and the Lions’ defense would undoubtedly benefit from his presence on the field. Reddick, who has recorded double-digit sacks in four consecutive seasons, would immediately provide the Lions with the edge-rushing help they desperately need.
With the Lions sitting at 4-1 and looking like legitimate contenders in the NFC, acquiring a player like Reddick could keep their Super Bowl hopes alive despite Hutchinson’s injury.
Compensation for Reddick
The potential trade won’t come without a cost. Though it is not know exactly what the Lions would have to give up to acquire Reddick, Josina Anderson is reporting that the Eagles are expected to receive a 2026 second-round pick from the Jets if Reddick is traded to an NFC team. While the Lions do have draft capital, they would need to weigh the long-term cost of giving up valuable picks for a short-term gain. But with Hutchinson out and Detroit in the thick of the playoff race, it could be a price worth paying.
With Hutchinson sidelined, head coach Dan Campbell acknowledged the difficulty of losing one of his best players but expressed confidence in the rest of the defensive line, specifically mentioning Aaron Glenn’s ability to adapt and make the most of his personnel. While Hutchinson’s absence is a huge loss, acquiring Reddick would help soften the blow and keep Detroit’s defense at the top of its game.
The Lions have internal options like James Houston, Levi Onwuzurike, and Josh Paschal, but adding a proven veteran like Reddick would immediately elevate the defense to another level.
Will the Lions Make a Move?
The Lions are in win-now mode, and with the Jets willing to part ways with Reddick, this could be a rare opportunity for Detroit to add a top-tier talent to their roster. The next few days will be crucial as Brad Holmes and the Lions’ front office decide whether to make a push for Reddick. Given Detroit’s strong start and playoff aspirations, don’t be surprised if they make a move to bolster their defense for the second half of the season.
For now, Lions fans will have to wait and see whether Reddick ends up in Honolulu Blue and continues Detroit’s march toward the playoffs.
Today marks the first day of the NFL season with an actual game being played.
I was lucky enough to share that day with the Eagle’s open practice.
Hall Of Fame Game
The Eagles might not have had any relations to this year’s Hall of Fame class, including Steve McMichael and Devin Hester, giving the Bears their second appearance at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in the last six years. But they might soon, with some Eagles greats who have recently retired, like Fletcher Cox and Jason Kelce.
Perhaps the Eagles will end their 18-year absence one day, with 17 nominees in the 2024 class. Or once either of these recently retired players hits eligibility five years from now.
FletcherCox: 6x Pro Bowl / 1x All-Pro / HOF All-2010’s Team / Super Bowl 52 Champ
Jason Kelce: 7x Pro Bowl / 6x All-Pro / Eagles-Record 145 Consecutive Starts / Super Bowl 52 Champ
Open Practice!
On the other side of Thursday was the Eagles open practice, and if you’ve been as impatient as I have for football season, then today was a pretty good day.
Nearly 50,000 fans showed up at Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday, and almost 75% of the Linc was filled for practice.
For once, the Eagles won’t host the Vikings in the regular season to start their year; instead, it’ll come one week earlier in their final preseason match.
Regardless if the Eagles starters see any real action in the coming weeks, there are plenty of names to look out for, but they might not even see much of the playing field this season.
Jalyx Hunt
After cutting Barnett late last season, the Eagles’ defensive line depth weakened. After acquiring Huff and moving on from Reddick, they would need more insurance in the defensive end position. Enter the Eagles’ third-round pick.
If Vic Fangio is committed to playing those who deserve playing time, we may see more rookies play than we have in the past. While that opens the door for the rookies, it could also limit some of the other playmakers on the roster.
Isaiah Rodgers
The Eagles had Rodgers tucked away on the suspended list for most of last season, and now that the year is beginning, we’re finding out the Eagles have a massive logjam in the secondary.
Multiple rookies, Mitchell and DeJean(injured), as well as plenty of other sophomores and veterans, are vying for a roster spot.
Looks like Isaiah Rodgers will get the first stab at outside cornerback today. Kelee Ringo in with the twos. #Eagles
The problem between the 2022 and 2023 Eagles defense. (Other than not being able to get a single stop most games). Was the change in production from the defensive line.
From having four 10+ Sack players. (Reddick, Sweat, Hargrave & Graham)
To only a single 10+ Sack player. (Reddick)
The 2022 Eagles might’ve fallen short of the Bears 72 Sack record in 2022. But they were nowhere close to repeating that total, only recording 43 sacks last year. Ranking 20th league wide.
There’s plenty of reasons as to what might have fully derailed the Eagles season. Giving up an average of 30.3 points in the final 6 games of the season, including a 32 point defeat to the Buccaneers in the Wildcard round. Somehow, the team that gave up the least passing yards in 2022, with an average of 171.6 yard against per game. Became the team that gave up the 3rd most, with 255.7 passing yards against in 2023.
Overuse Down The Stretch
The Eagles defensive line finished the season injured and not as deep as it started. After playing multiple overtime games, the Eagles were never the same following the win against Buffalo. Where the Defense played 95 Snaps, and what seemed like the point of no return for the season.
Below is the DL and its share of snap counts across the season
Player
Total Snaps
Snap %
Snaps Played Vs Buffalo
Haason Reddick
862
74.18%
83
Josh Sweat
828
71.26%
81
Fletcher Cox
684
58.86%
22
Jalen Carter
563
48.45%
76
Jordan Davis
519
44.66%
62
Milton Williams
494
42.51%
Missed Game
Brandon Graham
395
33.99%
26
Nolan Smith
188
16.18%
11
Marlon Tuipulotu
162
13.94%
32
Derek Barnett
99
8.52%
Cut/Signed with HOU
Kentavius Street
87
7.49%
Traded To ATL
Moro Ojomo
68
5.85%
Missed Game
Had the Eagles not over-relied on their starters and played more of their depth. Perhaps the major burnout at the end of the year would have saved them from not being able to get off the field. Add on the fact they traded away Street and Cut Barnett at the trade deadline. The Eagles defense was without 2 more players to pick up the snaps.
This Years Additions
Much like the last few seasons, the Eagles have successfully drafted players before their predecessor’s had retired. From Kelce to Jurgens. Cox to Davis/Carter.
Now that the Eagles have gone and made acquisitions throughout the offseason. They’ve been able to add Bryce Huff, Jalyx Hunt and Julian Okwara to the OLB position. With the expectation Nolan Smith will also see a larger role in his 2nd season, similar to his fellow Bulldog teammates.
But with countless DBs and only so many roster spots available. It feels like the Eagles further additions could come along the defensive line. (When haven’t they). Additions such as Genard Avery, Ndamukong Suh, Robert Quinn, Linval Joseph have all been acquired throughout the last few seasons.
You can’t always prevent injuries, and if defense wins championships. Then depth could be necessary down the stretch. Could a name like Chase Young come up in a few months if the Saints finally blow it up? Or perhaps the Eagles go big game hunting and see if the Chargers are committed to a rebuild, and are interested in shopping Khalil Mack?
There’s still a long way to go till the Week 9 Trade Deadline. But Eagles training camp begins next week, and then we’ll finally get our first taste of the Eagles season to come that is just around the corner.
Last week I discussed 3 new Eagles who could make an impact in 2024. From new faces on the defense, and changes to the offense. There isn’t many reasons to doubt what the 2024 Eagles should bring.
With Training Camp and Preseason starting in the coming weeks. We’ll get a closer look at some of those players still vying to make a final roster spot before the 53 mans are due August 27th. While we might not see much of some of the Eagles veterans during those preseason games. There’s still a bottom line to expect from some players that have been around the organization for most of their careers.
Josh Sweat
Entering the offseason, it wasn’t clear if the Eagles were going to keep Josh Sweat or Haason Reddick in the future, as both would have been on expiring deals after this season had they not made a move for Bryce Huff.
Now, there’s more expectation from Sweat with a contract season looming. The Eagles drafted Sweat with the 130th pick in the 2018 Draft. Did they expect him to put up an 11 Sack season in 2022? Or 11th in Pressures last season?
The Eagles made a statement keeping Josh Sweat for the final year of his deal. With the additions of Bryce Huff and Jalyx Hunt, some pressure might be off of Sweat, but the Eagles should expect to see something similar to his 2022 season if they’re going to continue with Sweat in the picture.
Jake Elliott
We need to make one thing abundantly clear. The Eagles probably weren’t even close to being 10-1 if not for Jake Elliott’s performances last season.
Throughout the year, Elliott made 30/32FG’s, and 45/46XP’s.
Some impactful kicks that saved games include:
The Eagles only points in the 2nd half against the Patriots Week 1. With kicks made from 56, 51 and 48 yards.
The Commanders Week 4 Overtime game, that frankly didn’t need Overtime. From 54 yards.
To give the Eagles a chance in OT to beat the Bills, was this 59 yard FG.
Elliott scored 15 of the Eagles 33 points in the Week 16 win against the Giants. Going 4/4 FG including 3XP.
Makes sense why the Eagles locked up Elliott to a 4-Year extension worth $24M this offseason. Now under contract until 2028.
Darius Slay
Coming into his 5th season on the Eagles. Slay has seen it all. From the Nate Gerry seasons, to the start and end of the Gannon Era, and then most of whatever Sean Desai and Matt Patricia brought to the table.
Slay missed 4 games near the end of the Eagles season, including the games against the Seahawks, Cardinals and Giants. Perhaps if the Eagles had their true CB1 to end the year some of the defensive lapses that cost them games could have been prevented.
However with a new year brings new opportunity. And if Slay ends up as a Captain again, there’s going to be higher standards for a presences many doubted during the turmoil of the Eagles collapse. And with all the new Cornerbacks looking to make their own roster spot.
If the 6x Pro-Bowler is able to return to form, the Eagles secondary could become one of the best in the league after this years draft class.
The Eagles report to Training Camp in 11 days. Where we’ll get another weeks look at the team before their open practice on August 1st.
The Eagles may have made some drastic changes throughout the roster. But there’s still some uncertainty about the depth chart. But with the new coaching changes and acquisitions made in the offseason (and yet to come), there’s plenty of players who will have their opportunity to make an impact on the roster.
Below are a few standouts to look forward to in the regular season.
Bryce Huff
The biggest change to the Eagles defensive line is going to be the swap of Haason Reddick for Bryce Huff.
In his 4 seasons with the Jets, Huff put up 17.5 sacks (with 10 coming in his last season), as well as 21 QB hits and 10 TFL in the 2023 season. During that season Huff only played 480 defensive snaps (42.22%). When you look at the workload that Haason Reddick had on the Eagles last year, with 862 defensive snaps (74.18%). Reddick posted 11 sacks, 23 QB hits and 13 TFL.
Huff will have big shoes to fill in his opening season with the Eagles. But with a defense the Eagles have gone all out on, hoping to turn things around from the #26 rank they had last season, and 31st in passing defense.
Will Shipley
With the 127th pick in this years NFL Draft, the Eagles selected running back Will Shipley. Shipley had 827 yards and 5 rushing touchdowns in his final season at Clemson. Could the Eagles need to reduce Saquon Barkley’s workload, Shipley should be the best available backup. Fans and opponents saw the Eagles overuse of Kenneth Gainwell last season, with only 364 rushing yards. And unless his offensive woes(4.3ypc) were also due to Brian Johnson’s uncreative offense. He should be on a very short leash as the Eagles longest tenured back.
There won’t be much to expect from Shipley in his rookie season if all goes well. But in the event of injury, the Eagles RB depth will need to come into play. And if Kellen Moore’s new offense can bring out the best in all 3 backs, perhaps they’ll be able to make their way into more top 10 rankings.
Something I spent most of last season hoping the Eagles would address, was adding another tight end to the roster.
When they signed CJ Uzomah along with Kellen Moore becoming the new offensive coordinator. The offense was going to get some new looks. Uzomah might not have had much to show for his 2 seasons with the Jets, but joining a backup role behind Dallas Goedert might be the perfect setup for his next season.
Throughout Moore’s OC seasons, his teams 1&2TEs had the following stats:
2023(Chargers) Gerald Everett – 51Rec, 411Yards, 3TD Donald Parham – 27Rec, 285Yards, 4TD Stone Smartt – 11Rec, 155 Yards, 1TD
With productive seasons from multiple TEs across multiple seasons and including a 2nd team should mean good things for the coming Eagles offense. If Dallas Goedert stays healthy for all 17 games of the season, the Eagles might be able to expect a 1,000 yard season from him, let alone how many yards they’re able to get from their TE2, arguably C.J. Uzomah until listed otherwise.
There’s more than just the 3 players who need to make their impact known. But from the draft and free agency, these are the roles that could help define this Eagles season as a success, from positions they could have been lacking in the last few years.
We only have to wait 19 more days until Training Camp starts. And after that, pre-season will be right around the corner.
The Eagles had a mini-makeover this offseason, which is a good thing.
After a red-hot start and ugly collapse, simply running it back for 2024 would have been an unacceptable course of action, and as such the Eagles said goodbye to several prominent pieces from last season.
Time will tell whether Howie Roseman and company made the right decisions.
A flurry of activity always hits in the spring when a new NFL league year and free agency begin — leading into the NFL Draft at the end of April. It can be hard to follow all the player movement. And that’s why we’ve thrown together this quick whip-around, to help Eagles fans keep track of where some of their old friends may be competing next season.
Here’s a look at the new homes for 15 recent former Eagles who made some sort of impact on the squad last season:
Marcus Mariota, QB
Mariota signed a deal with the NFC East’s Commanders to help Jayden Daniels adjust to the NFL. He’ll likely be the back up to the second overall draft pick.
D’Andre Swift, RB
Swift was the first player off the board when free agency started back in May, inking a 3-year, $24 million deal with the Bears that seemed too rich for the Eagles’ blood. And then of course, they spent more than that to bring in Saquon Barkley.
Boston Scott, RB
The Eagles’ perennial Giant killer has moved on, and will fight for a roster spot with the Rams this spring.
Rashaad Penny, RB
Expected to have more of an impact when he joined the Eagles last offseason, Penny might have a better opportunity in Carolina with the Panthers, where he signed in April.
Quez Watkins, WR
The Eagles are rolling the dice at their No. 3 wideout spot, hoping one of the two rookies they signed (Ainias Smith, Johnny Wilson), or one of the veterans they signed (John Ross, Parris Campbell) can step into the role and make more of an impact than Watkins did in his four Eagles seasons. Watkins is with the Steelers this spring.
Olamide Zaccheaus, WR
The same goes for Zaccheaus, who was a depth wideout last season and didn’t add much on the field. He signed and will try and earn a role with the Commanders.
Jack Stoll, TE
A new No. 3 tight end will also emerge in Philly, as the block-first TE Stoll has signed with the rival Giants.
Nick Morrow, LB
The Eagles have a new-look linebacking core behind Dakobe Dean, and Morrow will take his next snap with the Bills.
Christian Elliss, LB
Mostly a special teams guy, Elliss will be with the Patriots if he makes their roster out of training camp.
Haason Reddick, Edge
The Eagles made some headlines — head-scratching ones to many — when they elected to trade away sack-mavin Reddick to the Jets not long after they signed New York’s top free agent pass rusher Bryce Huff to a pretty rich deal. Reddick was a Philly-grown star and a fan favorite and Eagles fans no doubt wish him luck up I-95 with the Jets this season.
Derrick Barnett, Edge
Barnett was actually waived by the Eagles last November and quickly signed by the Texans where he had 2.5 sacks in six games in Houston. Barnett was a first round pick by the Birds who was on the Super Bowl winning roster and tallied 21.5 QB takedowns in seven seasons in Philly.
Kentavius Street, DT
Street was a depth defensive lineman who didn’t play a ton in Philly. He’ll suit up with the Falcons this summer.
Josiah Scott, CB
Scott was a depth defensive back, who did get on the field a bit due to injuries in the Eagles’ secondary the last few seasons. He’ll try and earn a solid role with the Steelers.
Kevin Byard, S
After being the Eagles’ splashy trade deadline acquisition last season, the All-Pro fell sort of expectations in Philly and was not expected to return for another year as the Eagles were aggressive in upgrading at safety this offseason. Byard will play for the Bears in 2024.
Terrell Edmonds, S
A depth piece at safety, Edmonds will be in the Jaguars organization this year.
With three weeks until the NFL draft. Rosters are beginning to take shape and some clear picks are beginning to show.
With the Bears, Patriots and Commanders expected to take their QBs of the future. There will be a long way to go to see who might fall to the Eagles with the 22nd overall pick.
While the Eagles have recently ended the conversation whether they would trade Reddick or Sweat. Another hole has opened in the depth of the roster.
Sure the Eagles have already signed Bryce Huff to a $51M deal and have Nolan Smith waiting in the wings after only playing 188 defensive snaps in his rookie season. Barely seeing an increase in playtime after the Eagles had waived Derek Barnett prior to their Week 11 game against Buffalo.
Laiatu Latu – Edge, UCLA
Re-filling the edge-rusher position after trading away Reddick, with Brandon Graham on his final season all while not knowing what you have in Smith and Huff is probably one of the best options for the Eagles at #22. Similar to drafting Davis and Carter in lieu of Hargrave and Cox departures in the last two seasons.
The biggest area of concern regarding Latu is from a neck injury he suffered during a preseason workout in 2020. An injury that had the University of Washington medical staff refusing to medically clear him to continue playing.
The Eagles have had multiple instances of drafting players with this warning, including Josh Sweat and Nakobe Dean.
If the Eagles don’t believe that Huff and Smith are able to take over enough of the defensive snaps. Bringing in Latu could be the final piece to a new defensive line.
NFL.com has multiple mock drafts with Latu going to the Rams at 19 and 24, as well as the Buccaneers at 26. He might fall perfectly within the Eagles range.
Kool-Aid McKinstry – CB, Alabama
After the disastrous end to the Eagles season. It’s clear a new CB might be needed on the roster. They’ve already gone and re-signed C.J. Gardner Johnson and now brought back Avonte Maddox as well.
James Bradberry was “part of the plan” when Howie Roseman spoke at the combine, but things can always change by September.
There’s plenty of available Cornerbacks in this draft. From Quinyon Mitchell, Nate Wiggins, Cooper DeJean and McKinstry are all projected to go in the late 1st round per NFL.com’s mock drafts.
Much like Latu. The Eagles may have to look at trading up if they wanted to go after Mitchell in the draft. However, if they wanted to move back in the 1st, McKinstry could be available past 22nd. Allowing the Eagles to regain assets later in the draft.
With Bradberry and Slay still under contract for multiple seasons. The Eagles should be looking to drafting their predecessors like they have on the defensive line. Unless Eli Ricks or Kelee Ringo have breakout sophomore seasons, a long-term solution needs to be put in place alongside Reed Blankenship and Sydney Brown in the secondary. McKinstry could be that answer, and could even allow them to trade Bradberry before the start of the season. Rumors have swirled about the Eagles landing Surtain from the Broncos, but I’d prefer to draft and acquire a starting caliber player still on a rookie deal.
No Offensive Picks?
The offence may not have been able to score at will last season. But the Eagles defense hemorrhaged yards and points beyond belief last year. Was it all on coaching?
The Eagles have already gone and signed Saquon Barkley, DeVante Parker, Matt Hennessy and Parris Campbell plus more additions for the offense. Taking another day one defensive pick won’t hurt an offense that recently extended two players on the offensive line. With Mailata, Dickerson and Jurgens all under contract for multiple years. There’s multiple options for the Eagles to find a Right Guard late in the draft if Steen hasn’t won the starters spot.
The Eagles will still have 7 draft picks following the 22nd pick. Where they’ve been able to make successful picks in the later rounds, including 2 more picks in the the top 60.
Who do you have the Eagles drafting in the 1st round?
After signing 13 players over the last few weeks the Eagles have found the solution to most of their 20 free agents this off-season.
Spotrac has the Eagles at a projected $10.5M in cap space, so they might be done spending as they’ll still have to sign all their rookies following the draft. If they’re looking to open up more cap space, the Eagles have yet to make any decisions on Josh Sweat or Haason Reddick.
Even after their shopping spree on the open market. The Eagles still have 8 picks in the upcoming draft, including 3 in the first 2 rounds.
The Eagles have already traded #98 and two 2025 5th round picks for Kenny Pickett and #120. Moving down 22 spots and acquiring a QB with term.
And for a team that’s always active during the draft. Don’t expect them to be quiet.
Previous Draft Trades
Below are the past 3 years of Draft Pick trades the Eagles have made
2023 Draft
Eagles trade 10th pick and a 2024 4th to the Bears in exchange for 9th overall (Jalen Carter)
Eagles trade 62nd pick to the Texans in exchange for picks #65(Tyler Steen), #188(Tanner McKee) and #230
Eagles trade a 2024 3rd to the Texans in exchange for #105 (Kelee Ringo)
Eagles trade a 2025 4th to the Lions for D’Andre Swift and #249
Eagles trade #230 and #248 to the Texans for #191
Eagles trade #191 to Tampa Bay for a 2024 5th
2022 Draft
(Pre-Draft) Eagles traded #16, #19 and #194 to New Orleans for #18, #101, #237, a 2023 1st and 2024 2nd
Eagles trade #15, #124, #162 and #166 to the Texans for #13 (Jordan Davis)
Eagles trade #18 and #101 to the Titans for A.J. Brown
Eagles trade #154 to Jacksonville for #188 and #198
Eagles trade #188 and #237 to Detroit for #181
2021 Draft
(Pre-Draft) Eagles trade Carson Wentz for #84 and 2022 #16
(Pre-Draft) Eagles trade #6 and #156 to Miami for #12 and a 2022 1st
Eagles trade #12 and #84 to Dallas for #10 (DeVonta Smith)
Eagles trade #70 to Carolina for #73(Milton Williams) and #191(Tarron Jackson)
Eagles trade #225 and #240 to Washington for a 2022 5th
Time and time again the Eagles have shown to be very active in the draft. Loading up on future picks and trading up to acquire the guys they want.
It’ll be no surprise by the end of April if the Eagles have traded more of their picks. Whether it’s to acquire players or future picks we’ll have to wait to find out.
The Eagles had another grocery list of positions to fill this off-season.
Safety (or 2)
Linebackers (multiple)
Wide Receivers (multiple)
Running Back (or 2)
OL Depth
They had already made a few moves to shore up some depth and competition in the roster. See more of the previous moves like Okwara and Kinnard here.
If you had told me that the Eagles would cross off most of that list within the first week of free agency. I would assume most of the players were cheap acquisitions who might not even make the 53 man roster. But by end of day Thursday, the Eagles have started the off-season impressively.
Let’s recap the moves they’ve made since Wednesday.
The Eagles began the legal tampering period with some of the best news. And later finalized a 3-year, $37.75M deal with Saquon Barkley.
This should be the 3rd year in a row Eagles end up with a 1,000+ yard player in the backfield. From Sanders, to Swift and now Barkley, who put up 962 rushing yards in only 14 games with the Giants this past season. While the Giants had started Tyrod Taylor, Daniel Jones and Tommy DeVito for equal amounts of the season. Saquon was in a similar situation to Christian McCaffrey, and should now make as much an impact on the Eagles as McCaffrey has to the 49ers offense.
With only a $3,950,000 cap hit in 2024. Barely costing the team as they continued to spend their available cap space…
Shopping From Both Sides Of MetLife
There was one more stop the Eagles had to make while they were scooping players from MetLife Stadium.
Signing Bryce Huff to a 3-year, $51M contract is a big price to pay for a defensive end who only played 42% of the defensive snaps. Compared to Sweat at $13.3M and Reddick at $15M, who both played over 70% of the Eagles defensive snaps. But with Huff putting up 10 Sacks last year for the Jets, this signing feels similar to when they signed Haason Reddick 2 seasons ago.
So could this be a signing to replace one of the expiring Sweat or Reddick deals? Or utilizing the $30M jump in cap space to re-invest on the defensive line? We won’t know for now, but this Josh Sweat instagram comment might be a hint of what could still be to come.
Addressing The OL
Every year, there’s plenty of people online who scream into the void “The Eagles should use their Day 1 pick on an offensive lineman”
I’m here to tell you they probably won’t do that, again.
The Eagles had plenty of players depart from the Offensive Line. From Kelce’s retirement to no news on Sua Opeta or Jack Driscoll. But they’ve already gone and signed Darian Kinnard, and now Matt Hennessy.
With 20 starts in Atlanta over the last 3 years, the former Temple Owl will make his way back to Philadelphia. Having played center and left guard in Atlanta. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Hennessy is viewed as a backup piece, but can bring competition for both Cam Jurgens and Tyler Steen during training camp.
While this is only a 1 year deal, it probably keeps the Eagles from using a high round pick in the draft on the offensive line. If they’re truly building for the future they could use a 2nd or 3rd round pick, like they have in the last two drafts.
Finally, Some Linebackers!
There’s one position the Eagles desperately needed to invest in this off-season. And it took awhile for these moves to come through but they’ve made them.
Saints free-agent LB Zack Baun plans to sign a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, per source.
Adding 2 linebackers in the opening week of free agency is steps ahead of the linebackers the Eagles were acquiring last year.
Nicholas Morrow was the only free agent move in March for a LB, and Zach Cunningham and Myles Jack weren’t signed until August.
Devin White, a former Pro-Bowler and All-Pro had 83 tackles last year, including 2.5 Sacks and 2 Interceptions.
While Zack Baun had 30 tackles, 2 Sacks and 1 Interception.
Many may not approve of the White deal, but with plenty of time to make final roster decisions and the draft still a month away. White and Baun are better moves than the Eagles have seen at LB in some time. (We all remember Nate Gerry, right?)
Maybe this is what was missing from the Eagles secondary in 2023.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson didn’t see plenty of playing time in Detroit, With a Week 2 injury that saw C.J. out until week 18. The reacquainted Safety still had 2 Interceptions across his 6 total games in Detroit, 3 in the regular season and 3 in the playoffs.
Some wanted Justin Simmons to fill the void in the secondary left by Byard, but after some apologies, many are on board with this addition.
The New WR3 In Town
With Quez Watkins and Olamide Zaccheaus set to be free agents, the Eagles had to bring in multiple new faces for new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
Eagles and former Patriots WR DeVante Parker reached agreement on a 1-year, $4.69 million fully guaranteed deal, of which Philadelphia has to pay only $1.2 million, with New England paying the rest. “DeVante is thrilled and grateful to become a Philadelphia Eagle and to help this… pic.twitter.com/LtwCnNVj58
While DeVante Parker’s separation numbers are the worst in the league. The Former Patriot still had 539 and 394 yards during his 2-year stint with Mac Jones at QB (And Matt Patricia at OC).
Not bad numbers to fill in a WR3 role that Watkins and Zaccheaus didn’t come close to last year. Sure the offense struggled under Brian Johnson, there’s still bright things to expect with new faces on this team with new coordinators and schemes being put in place this off-season.
There’s still 1 more open WR spot on the roster that could be addressed in the draft or re-signing Zaccheaus. And with the Eagles only paying $1.2M of Parker’s deal, there’s no guarantee he makes the final roster cut in August either.
The Eagles have already made plenty of moves signing new faces to the team, who are you hoping they’re still able to add before the draft?
We always hear that the NFL is a copycat league, which is both real and ongoing.
We saw the Philadelphia Eagles go from one of the most efficient and effective offenses in recent memory to one that seemed to be missing something in just a single season. By the end of their 2023 campaign, there wasn’t much gas left. Coaches adjusted with an entire season of film at the palm of their hand — the Eagles suffered mightily.
But with new coordinators and an offensive scheme that needs to be reworked rather than replicated like was the case last season, that should be the least of Philadelphia’s issues. In reality, their roster construction might be what needs to change. The Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs might be just the place to look.
Preaching Youth & Cap Space
The Chiefs had the second-best defense in the NFL last season in points against per game (just 17.3), but they also had one of the youngest. Other than veteran defensive tackle Chris Jones, their entire defense was different from the last time they faced the San Francisco 49ers back in 2019, and they filled it out with youth. Their oldest defensive starter is Jones himself at age 29, with players such as George Karlaftis and Trent McDuffie both being under the age of 24 yet pretty important pieces for them.
While the Chiefs didn’t have to let go of too many elite stars on the defense, losing veterans like Tyrann Mathieu and Frank Clark hurt. It wasn’t absolutely gutwrenching, but the former was a first-team All-Pro in his last two seasons in Kansas City, while the former had three Pro Bowl nods. And, getting to the offense, they also lost Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins before the 2022 season. To build around quarterback Patrick Mahomes, they had to free up as much money as possible. Since they said goodbye to Mathieu and Hill after losing in the AFC Championship in 2021, they have won two Super Bowls. Yes, they’ve gotten better after getting rid of stars — ironic, isn’t it?
Photo: Adam Schultz
Now, the Chiefs might be better off with these players, but their young core has made up for them admirably. McDuffie was in the Hill trade, and they likely don’t win a championship without him — he was a first-team All-Pro last season. 23-year-old Rashee Rice also too some massive strides at wide receiver in 2023 and was pretty much the only player at his position that Mahomes could look at consistently.
The best part of all this? Those players are making next to nothing. The salary cap is a real thing in the NFL, and eventually, restructuring deals comes back to bite teams. But not the Chiefs. They parted ways with superstars and simply drafted new ones. Judging from what they’ve done, that cycle will repeat in the near future. For now, they will ride out their rookie contracts and get impactful play out of youngsters. With the extra money, they will continue to pay the veterans they cannot function without.
To win as consistently as the Chiefs have, a balance has to be met.
What This Means for the Eagles
With all of that being said, that doesn’t mean the Eagles should just trade everyone on their roster. But it also doesn’t mean they should hand out extensions like they’re candy, either. Yes, they’re going to have to make some tough decisions and part ways with some key players, one potentially being 29-year-old Haason Reddick, who had a little bit of drama recently. That’s not even an opinion, either. At some point, the Eagles will have to rid of some of their elite talent. If they do it soon, it will help out their cap situation for years to come and allow them to build around quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Photo: Philadelphia Sports Nation on X.
Now that Hurts is making a lot of money, the Eagles are going to have to cheap out elsewhere. A championship roster is harder to construct with glaring holes throughout it. Nowadays, Super Bowl champions are largely built through drafting young players. The Eagles have this formula down to an extent, but it will be time soon to pay these players who don’t have a big deal. Instead of restructuring deals every season and hitting a wall like they did in 2020 when they went 4-11-1 (although injuries and the regression of star quarterback Carson Wentz played a role), it would be wise to extend their window. If Hurts is the real deal, they have to maximize his contention era instead of shortening it.
For a while, the narrative was that teams shouldn’t pay their quarterbacks because teams paying them a lot of money didn’t win was prevalent. Well, Mahomes has proved that wrong twice now. What’s important to take away from that is that, sometimes, other parts of the roster will suffer. If Hurts is a truly elite quarterback, he will need to have a massive role in that. It is essentially impossible under the current landscape of the league to have what the 49ers do, for example, and a highly-paid quarterback on top of that. Having a cheap quarterback like San Francisco has allowed them to splurge on elite talent such as Christian McCaffrey and not feel the hurt. Since Hurts is being paid, the Eagles are not so lucky.
But it must be reiterated that Hurts making money isn’t a bad thing. If he’s a great quarterback, he will be able to overcome these obstacles. He doesn’t have to be generational, but some improvement from last season will be needed. If he can return to his 2022 form, the Eagles can afford to cheap out at some places on their roster. Whether it be on offense or defense, something or someone will have to give. Trading an elite player will never be popular, but it will allow the Eagles flexibility in the future. Hurts is only 25, and the rest of the team is fairly young, aside from a few stars. This is not the team to go all in with.
In the NFL, many teams are the hare. The Eagles should consider being the tortoise.
The Importance of the Draft
The only reason why the Chiefs have been able to survive the on-paper regression they’ve had from 2021 to now is because of their drafting. There has to be some sort of plan to find replacements because winning a championship then would be almost hopeless. At some point or another, the day that all those restructured deals and backloaded contracts come. If Hurts was still a good quarterback at that point, that would be eliminating a season of his, if not multiple. That process is repeated every time a team goes “all in.”
It’s fine to restructure deals and hand out extensions, but not to every single player. After losing in the Super Bowl in 2022, the Eagles did a relatively good job of this. They had to let go of Javon Hargrave, C.J Gardner-Johnson, T.J. Edwards, Kyzir White, and Marcus Epps — all pretty important players. But those were free agents, and the Eagles never adequately replaced them. Unable to trade them and draft their replacements, new areas of the field became liabilities that were not the season prior.
Photo: —
Trading is always tricky in the NFL, as stars are traded for essentially nothing all the time. Sometimes, though, nothing is really something. A player like Reddick, although immensely valuable to the Eagles, likely won’t be at his best for the next three or so seasons — a possible length of the extension he will be eligible for next season. If the idea is that he is elite early on and then becomes a cap liability later on, that will limit Philadelphia’s upside. If the Eagles could theoretically get a third- or fourth-round pick for him instead of paying top dollar, they might have to at least consider, especially if they fancy themselves as long-term contenders.
It’s not pretty, and you’d hope it’d be more, but it saves money that championship teams need. Philadelphia is already seeing the repercussions of extending veterans with the miserable campaign James Bradberry had in 2023. When in doubt, preach cap space and draft picks. If they aren’t sure that a player will play up to their contract for its entirety, they probably shouldn’t be signing it.
With this logic, that would mean that not even DeVonta Smith is safe. But getting to an earlier point, some players are too important to let go. Maybe Reddick falls in that category; maybe he doesn’t. General manager Howie Roseman and the Eagles will have to figure out who those athletes are. For those that aren’t, trades for draft picks will be in their future.
If those draft picks are used well, it could be the difference between becoming a dynasty and a one-year wonder.
Kansas City has gone for the former. The Eagles can do the same.
While the Super Bowl was the perfect way to kick off the week, Eagles fans received some frightening news on Sunday.
Sources: #Eagles All-Pro edge rusher Haason Reddick has received permission to seek a trade following another disruptive season featuring double digit sacks. The 29-year old with 27 sacks over two seasons in Philly could land elsewhere. pic.twitter.com/WxIGTac24M
A panic was set in before the big game had even started. Would the Eagles really end up trading their star Defensive End?
Thankfully on Wednesday, some more information came out on this catastrophic situation.
Just spoke to #Eagles All-Pro pass-rusher Haason Reddick, who tells me he never requested a trade and he wants to stay in Philadelphia. “I would like to get an extension done here at home. At no point did I ever tell the organization I want to be traded.”
Reddick himself confirmed that HE was not the one to ask for the trade request. Which asks the question, where did the trade request come from?
Nothing New From Howie Roseman
There was more than enough reason to panic. Nothing like hearing your Defensive Player of the Year Finalist could be on a new team soon. But after the news was confirmed that Reddick wasn’t seeking the trade himself. Things began to make more sense, as this isn’t the first time the Eagles have gone about contract negotiations with a potential trade.
Just days before free agency of the 2023 season started. The Eagles and Darius Slay were in a similar situation. While the Eagles eventually cut Slay at the start of free agency. Only 1 day later, and Slay was back with Philly on a brand new 3 Year, $42 million deal.
Hopefully if this situation unfolds the same way. Reddick will find himself with a new contract, and a lengthy stay in Philadelphia.
On The Other Side Of The Coin
But what if the Eagles DID trade Haason Reddick? Currently, Reddick is the 21st highest paid edge rusher(per spotrac). Since joining the Eagles in 2022, let’s see how Reddick compares to some of the highest paid edge rushers.
($34M) Nick Bosa, 33 Games Played, 30 Sacks
($28M) T.J. Watt, 27 Games Played, 24.5 Sacks
($27M) Joey Bosa, 14 Games Played, 9 Sacks
($25M) Myles Garrett, 32 Games Played, 33 Sacks
($24.5M) Montez Sweat, 34 Games Played, 20.5 Sacks
($24M) Rashan Gary, 26 Games Played, 15 Sacks
($23.5M) Maxx Crosby, 34 Games Played, 27 Sacks
($23.5M) Khalil Mack, 34 Games Played, 25 Sacks
With 27.5 Sacks of his own, it’s clear enough that the contract Howie Roseman was able to get Reddick on was a highlight of the 2022 Off-season. Expecting to see an extension somewhere above the $25 Million average, the Eagles could be in an even longer off-season next year with Reddick, Sweat, Smith and Dickerson all due for large contracts.
The Last Huge Edge To Get Traded
It’s been almost 6 years since the Raiders traded Khalil Mack to the Bears. In his debut season with Chicago he put up 12.5 Sacks in only 14 games! The price to pay for a 27-year old Khalil Mack? Not only was it a 6-year, $141M contract. The Bears also received a 2020 2nd round pick (TE Cole Kmet) and a 2020 7th (OL Arlington Hambright) in the trade. However, Chicago sent 4 draft picks to the then Oakland Raiders which ended up becoming:
2019 1st (RB Josh Jacobs)
2019 6th (CB Blessuan Austin) – This pick was traded to the Jets, which resulted in a 2019 5th (WR Hunter Renfrow)
2020 1st (CB Damon Arnette)
2020 3rd (WR Bryan Edwards)
At the time of this trade, Mack was 27. However 4 years later, the Bears would get the following when they traded a 30-year old Mack to the Chargers:
2022 2nd (S Jaquan Brisker)
2023 6th (DL Scott Matlock) – This pick was traded back to the Chargers, which resulted in 2 2022 7th’s (S Elijah Hicks & P Trenton Gill)
With 1 season left on Reddick’s contract, the Eagles could end up with a 1st round pick and more. While losing the star edge rusher would leave 862 defensive snaps to fill, the Eagles could stock up on more draft picks and attempt to make a splash on upcoming free agents like Danielle Hunter, Chase Young or Marcus Davenport.
For the record, I’d love to keep Reddick as long as we can. However with him and Josh Sweat due in 2025, sometimes tough choices have to be made.
What would you do with this situation if you were in Howie Roseman’s shoes?
Last season, the Eagles were the buzz of the league with their surprising 14-3 record. The 1st seed in the NFC was on its way to the Super Bowl in Arizona. Their players and coaches lined the finalists for most of the categories.
Only for none of them to win. To make matters worse. They didn’t win the Super Bowl later that week either.
During last years awards, the Eagles had the following players received votes for for: – Jalen Hurts, OPOY & MVP – Haason Reddick, DPOY – Nick Sirianni, COY – Shane Steichen, ACOY
You can view a breakdown of the snubs and award losses from last year here.
2023’s Hope For Individual Awards
Once again, the Eagles saw themselves the talk of the NFL for the first 11 weeks of the season. But putting on a show in October and November doesn’t get you very far when you manage to go 1-6 in the final 7 weeks of your season.
Maybe if the Eagles managed to keep their season afloat, some recognition might’ve been acknowledged come award season. Instead, the Eagles only saw one player nominated for an award at by the end of the year.
While Jalen Hurts was in MVP talks after his overtime victory against the Bills. 6 Losses to end the year regardless of a defensive collapse or a stale offense by design, will minimize any hype you might’ve had during week 11.
The ONE Eagle who was able to receive votes for an award was 9th overall pick DT Jalen Carter. Projected to be a frontrunner for the award the ENTIRE season. Here’s how Defensive Rookie Of The Year was broken up.
Player
1st Place
2nd Place
3rd Place
Total
Will Anderson Jr.
16
21
8
151
Jalen Carter
14
14
10
122
Kobie Turner
14
6
7
95
Devon Witherspoon
4
7
16
57
Joey Porter Jr.
1
0
1
6
Here’s how the top 3 finalists did during their 2023 rookie season.
Will Anderson Jr. 15 Games Played, 7 Sacks, 45 Combined Tackles, 10 TFL, 22 QB Hits
Jalen Carter 16 Games Played, 6 Sacks, 33 Combined Tackles, 8 TFL, 9 QB Hits, 2 Forced Fumbles, 1TD
With nobody on the Eagles defense making significant impacts in the final weeks of the year. Perhaps the Defensive Coordinator change was truly the end to the Eagles season.
