The NFL offseason will ramp up early next week with the start of free agency when the negotiating window opens on Monday at noon.
The new league year will begin on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
The Eagles are projected to have just under $22 million in cap space, according to OverTheCap, when the league year begins. They aren’t expected to be major players in free agency this offseason.
We already took a look on offense. So here’s a position-by-position look on the defensive side of the ball:
Edge rusher
Under contract: Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, Bryce Huff, KJ Henry, Ochaun Mathis
Pending free agents: Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham
Need level: High
Thoughts and options: It seems likely that Sweat is going to leave in free agency if his market develops the way he hopes. Sweat had his best game of the season (of his career?) in Super Bowl LIX and finished second in MVP voting. But the Eagles are up against it a bit and know they can’t afford to pay everyone. And we’re also waiting to hear if 36-year-old Graham will continue to play. If Sweat leaves and Graham retires, the Eagles are light at edge rusher. They bring back Smith, who was their best at the position for most of the season and Hunt, who came on strong as he continued to develop as a rookie. But the Eagles got almost nothing out of Huff in his first year in Philly and don’t have much after him.
This is a position where the Eagles could and probably should use a high draft pick on but they should look in free agency too. One name that stands out is Baron Browning, who has played off-ball linebacker and edge rusher in his NFL career. He was drafted by the Broncos when Vic Fangio was the head coach in Denver so there’s already some familiarity and he won’t break the bank. Then there’s a young player like Azeez Ojulari, who has shown promise in his NFL career but has struggled to stay healthy; he could be available at a discount. Perhaps a reunion with Haason Reddick isn’t out of the question. And the big fish are Myles Garrett and Trey Hendrickson in a potential trade. While it wouldn’t be easy for the Eagles to trade for one of those stars, we should never count Howie Roseman out in a trade.
Defensive tackle
Under contract: Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, Thomas Booker IV, Byron Young, Gabe Hall
Pending free agents: Milton Williams
Need level: Medium
Thoughts and options: Williams is the Eagles’ pending free agent who will get the biggest deal on the open market. Williams hasn’t even turned 26 yet and is coming off a career year that he capped with a 2-sack performance in the Super Bowl. The Cowboys just gave Osa Odighizuwa a four-year contract worth $80 million; that should set the market for Williams and makes it unlikely he’ll be back with the Eagles. At least the cupboard isn’t bare without Williams. The Eagles still have Carter and Davis, and Ojomo could be ready for an expanded role. But this is a position where the Eagles are always going to be interested in adding.
The Eagles will likely be playing the compensatory pick game and players who were released by their previous teams don’t count toward that formula. So perhaps they’d be interested in a reunion with Javon Hargrave, who is now 32 and coming off a season that ended with a torn triceps after just three games. The other thing to think about is that this is considered to be a very strong and deep defensive tackle draft class. That could depress the market but it could also make the Eagles think about bypassing the position in free agency.
Linebacker
Under contract: Zack Baun, Nakobe Dean, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Dallas Gant
Pending free agents: Oren Burks, Ben VanSumeren (ERFA)
Need level: Low-medium
Thoughts and options: The Eagles took care of their No. 1 offseason priority when they re-signed Baun to a three-year, $51 million contract earlier this week. Baun was the best linebacker in the NFL in 2024 and was a key player on the best defense in the NFL. So at least they won’t have to start fresh at the position. But Nakobe Dean is rehabbing from a torn patellar tendon and his availability for the start of the 2025 season is up in the air. His replacement for the playoffs, Oren Burks, is also set to become a free agent. Because of that, we can’t just consider this to be a low priority. Maybe the Eagles would feel fine playing Trotter at linebacker in his second NFL season but we haven’t seen much of him yet in the NFL. The best option here might be to hope there isn’t a huge market for the soon-to-be 30-year-old Burks and bring him back on a one-year deal. He can play on defense if the Eagles need him to but even if he doesn’t need to play defense, he’s a solid special teamer.
Cornerback
Under contract: Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Kelee Ringo, Eli Ricks, Parry Nickerson, A.J. Woods
Pending free agents: Isaiah Rodgers, Avonte Maddox
Need level: Low-medium
Thoughts and options: The Eagles have a solid start with Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean entering their second NFL seasons. Both were tremendous as rookie starters and should only get better as their careers progress. The Eagles seemingly nailed last year’s draft. But the Eagles are releasing Darius Slay with a post-June 1 designation and Isaiah Rodgers is set to become a free agent next week. There’s a chance one of them could be back depending on what the market says about them and the Eagles should keep those options open. They also have Kelee Ringo entering Year 3 of his career. Ringo has some experience and is still just 22 but was behind the starters and Rodgers in 2024.
Safety
Under contract: Reed Blankenship, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Tristin McCollum, Sydney Brown, Andre’ Sam, Lewis Cine, Tariq Castro-Fields
Pending free agents: n/a
Need level: Low
Thoughts and options: While we put Maddox under the cornerback section, it’s worth noting that by the end of the 2024 season, he was the Eagles’ primary backup at safety. But even with his pending free agency, the Eagles will still bring back both of their starters — Blankenship and Gardner-Johnson — for the 2025 season. The Eagles also still have Brown and Tristin McCollum under contract going into next season. Brown missed all of training camp and the beginning of the season after recovering from an ACL tear so the hope should be that with a full offseason this year, he’ll be able to ascend into that top backup safety job. And even though McCollum did get bumped during 2024, he offers some special teams ability that the Eagles can use going forward if he’s able to make the roster. Cine is a bit of a wild card but the Eagles added him in January and will get a long look at him this summer.
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