June 1 has arrived, and the Philadelphia Eagles have the ammunition to add more talent before the 2025 regular season begins.
Thanks to Eagles general manager Howie Roseman's work, edge rusher Bryce Huff was part of a trade finalized with the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a mid-round pick. The trade can't be official until after June 1, and it will help open $15 million of cap space in 2025 for the Eagles.
While the Eagles lost a significant amount of top talent, including Brandon Graham, Milton Williams, Josh Sweat, Darius Slay, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson, the team also added notable talent. Most of those new players are viewed as role players and are often signed to one-year, low-cost contracts.
With more cap space to work with, the Eagles could target some free agents to be instant impact players in 2025. Let's take a look at five targets Philadelphia should absolutely call up and potentially bring in.
Justin Simmons, S
Simmons has been closely tied to the Eagles all offseason, thanks to his familiarity with his former head coach and current Eagles defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio, when they were with the Denver Broncos. In nine NFL seasons, Simmons has made two Pro Bowls and four AP second-team All-Pro selections. With Gardner-Johnson gone, Simmons makes for the perfect replacement in the starting lineup and gives Sydney Brown and Andrew Mukuba more time to develop.
Von Miller, OLB
Another former Bronco who played under Fangio in his defense was Miller, whose last Pro Bowl appearance was in 2019, the year Fangio took over as head coach. In total, the 36-year-old veteran edge rusher has 129.5 career sacks and has made eight Pro Bowls, and was Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2011. The departures of Sweat, Graham, and Huff leave a void open for Miller to fill in as a rotational edge rusher on third down with Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith Jr.
Brandon Scherff, G
The Eagles know Scherff all too well after he played his first seven years in the NFL with the Washington Commanders. He made five Pro Bowls with the Commanders and has been with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the last three years. Becton is gone, so a new right guard is needed, with Tyler Steen or Kenyon Green battling for the job. Scherff hasn't missed a game in over three years and could provide an instant upgrade at the position.
Rasul Douglas, CB
Why not bring back a cornerback who started his career in Philadelphia and helped them win a Super Bowl? Douglas spent his first three seasons with the Eagles from 2017 through 2019, but found success with the Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers, and Buffalo Bills. He had a down season in Buffalo last year, but Douglas would give the Eagles a more reliable number-three corner and can serve as a mentor for Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.
Read more:Brandon Graham shares blunt reality about Bryce Huff's mismanaged use in Philly
Za'Darius Smith, OLB
Similar to Miller, Smith has established a long 10-year NFL career with five teams. He made 69 career sacks and was selected to three Pro Bowls. The Eagles' edge rushers are young and need a veteran to help them take the next step. Smith is a perfect fit for Fangio's defense and doesn't need to be an every-down rusher.