The Eagles have been quiet on the free agent front for quite some time with their last signing coming in the form of receiver Charleston Rambo after the draft.
Still, fans are waiting to see what moves Howie Roseman has in store.
Of course, potential trades to fortify some of the positions fans see as weaker have been in the forefront of many minds. Budda Baker and Patrick Queen are among some of the most heavily discussed, but both require the Eagles to give something up.
Though the positional matches may not be there, many top players are available on the free agent market. The likes of DeAndre Hopkins, Julio Jones, Dalvin Cook, Taylor Lewan, Ndamukong Suh and Yannick Ngakoue find themselves still available through a variety of reasons such as late releases due to cap hits (similar to what happened just before James Bradberry signed with the Eagles in the 2022 offseason).
Could the Eagles be a match for any of these top talents? It could be possible.
Much like James Bradberry last offseason, if one of these players chooses to take a deal without much of a cap hit in order to play with a contender, it’d be difficult to imagine the Eagles not exploring a way to open a spot for any of these players.
But the NFL is a business and it’s not often a free agent will approach a team to play for less money, so perhaps midseason acquisition is the most likely scenario for the Eagles to add one of these players.
Much like when Jordan Davis went down last season and the Eagles added Linval Joseph and Suh in midseason, any of the above players who choose not to sign until camp has started or even finished may be someone who sees their way to Philadelphia in 2023.
Injuries happen and players like Suh know this. It’s what allowed him to make money, rest for part of the season, and still play in the Super Bowl last season. If the Eagles lose someone at the position and he’s still available, they could certainly give him a call again.
If the Birds were to lose one of their top four receivers for an extended period and Julio Jones remains unsigned, it’d be difficult to imagine him not having an interest in joining a team for a playoff run after getting to rest for a full offseason. The same goes for a potential Cook signing due to an injured running back or a Lewan signing due to an offensive lineman expected to miss significant time.
Of course, these guys all have interest already so the players may choose not to remain free agents and take a deal on the table. Hopkins and Ngakoue already have public reports that they intend to sign prior to training camp, so they are less likely to be options for a team like the Eagles.
Suh, on the other hand, has indicated he has no intent to sign before training camp and players like Julio Jones or Taylor Lewan, who reports have indicated might rather retire than take a deal with a team that isn’t a good fit, may not find that fit until a team like the Eagles has the roster spot to offer them midseason.
In such a case, the Eagles may be able to make a splash and add top talent once again – something fans are sure to enjoy.
The potential for trades and Howie Roseman’s propensity to pull them off will keep much of the focus on players like Patrick Queen and Budda Baker in the near future, but the potential to add a high-quality free agent to the team should not be discounted.
