The NFL Draft has come and gone and we are now in… what are we in?
Virtual workouts start today for the Eagles in preparation for the glimmer of hope of a season.
After the draft, Howie told reporters he’s not done:
Howie Roseman says the Eagles aren’t done making personnel moves just because free agency and the NFL Draft are over.
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) April 26, 2020
Today could be the start of HowieSZN all over again as players signed after 4 PM today will not count towards 2021 compensation picks:
Something to keep an eye on: any free agent signed after 4 PM EST today will not count towards the 2021 compensatory draft pick calculation. That could help create a market for the remaining unsigned players.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 27, 2020
We all know Howie loves his comp picks, so remaining free agents will be even more enticing. While there are a plethora of players at each position right now due to the draft and UDFA signings, there is still work to be done. Let’s examine the options:
Not happening
Jadeveon Clowney
Clowney apparently still wants north of $20 million per year to join a team. That coupled with still being labeled “public enemy no. 1” in Philadelphia makes this an extremely unlikely union.
Logan Ryan
I’ll admit that I was all aboard the Logan Ryan train at the beginning of free agency but, after adding Slay and Robey-Coleman, the fit isn’t there anymore. It was reported that his asking price was $10 million per year, so that makes this addition even more unlikely. The Eagles look set to roll with Slay, NRC, Maddox, Jones, LeBlanc, and Douglas (maybe?) at corner this season. If a corner or two is moved and/or his price comes down, then this addition isn’t impossible. But right now, not happening.
Cam Newton
Stop it.
Joe Flacco
“I mean, come on,” Flacco said. “I just look at it like we’re now a 2-6 football team and we’re, like, afraid to go for it in a two-minute drill. You know? Like, who cares if you give the ball back to the guys with 1:40 left? They obviously got the field goal anyway. Once again, we’re a 2-6 football team and it just feels like we’re kind of afraid to lose the game.”
You had my curiosity…
Jason Peters
The Eagles let Peters walk on March 5th, allowing Peters to test the market at 38 years old while they turned to 24-year-old Andre Dillard. They did mention that they will remain in contact with Peters throughout the offseason. The only sniffle of interest for the “Bodyguard” has come from the Buccaneers and the Browns, but the two teams solved some offensive line issues via the draft. Could the Eagles bring Peters back as a backup? Sure. Maybe it could give Dillard a kick in the rear to bring up his enthusiasm. At the very worst, he could provide some veteran leadership to an offensive line that added two rookies in the draft and another two undrafted signings.
LeSean McCoy
NO WAIT! Don’t stop reading! It isn’t as farfetched as you think. He and DeSean Jackson are still great friends. McCoy posted an Instagram post on March 27th with the caption “PHILADELPHIA =home” in which Jackson commented, “It’s a Reunion .. home coming”. He’s 171 yards away from breaking into the top 20 in all-time rushing yards, why not have him do it with the team he’s the franchise leader in rushing yards? If Shady agrees to a role-specific contract knowing Sanders is the undisputed starter, this could work. He is also only behind Adrian Peterson in rushing yards in the league since being drafted in 2009. The Eagles have also kept #25 free since he left..
Note: the last time the Eagles signed a running back off the Super Bowl winning team, they won the next Super Bowl. Just saying.
Lamar Miller
Did you forget he was around? After suffering a torn ACL during the preseason, Miller was lost for the entire 2019 season. From 2012, the year he was drafted, to 2018, Miller ranks sixth in the NFL in rushing yards. Before the injury, Miller had only missed seven games in his seven-year career. He offers decent value in the passing game, averaging just under 30 receptions and 223.5 yards per year. Being unable to perform in-person physically puts this on the unlikely side, but it’s something to watch. He has semi-ties to the Eagles. He played for Zac Taylor in Miami, the brother of Eagles’ passing game coordinator Press Taylor.
Prince Amukamara
I know, I know. I said no to a corner before and now I’m considering one, back off. Amukamara would be much cheaper than Logan Ryan and could provide some nice CB2 production alongside Darius Slay. Adding Amukamara would definitely signal the end of the Rasul Douglas and/or Cre’Von LeBlanc tenure, but it’s a move worth considering. The nine-year pro turns 31 in June, and had a down year in 2019, but in 2018 he had a strong 15 game season where he only allowed 57% of passes targeted his way and had three interceptions.
But now you have my attention
Devonta Freeman
Freeman and Tevin Coleman were supposed to be the fiercest 1-2 punch in the NFL. Now Coleman is on the 49ers, and rumored to be on the trade block, and Freeman is released. After two straight 1,000 yard seasons in 2015 & 2016, Freeman saw his total drop to 865, 68 (two games), and 656. Still extremely talented, Freeman could see a lot less of a workload to keep his health and provide exceptional value behind Sanders and Scott. He is a weapon out of the backfield in the passing game as well, catching 59 passes last year. A one year prove it deal to show his health could help him get a long term deal in 2021 at age 29.
Carlos Hyde
Has anyone ever had a quieter 1,000-yard season than Hyde had in 2019? He had 1,070 to be exact, which was 13th in the NFL. A career 4.1 YPC back, Hyde has been a popular name for the Eagles for a long time. He’d primarily be the short-yardage back in Philadelphia, as he offers almost nothing in the passing game, averaging 18.4 catches per season, but the Eagles don’t need him to be anything more than that.
Everson Griffen
Veteran leadership on the defensive line? Another Super Bowl move. Adding Griffen would be a Chris Long type move and add another excellent pass rusher to a devastating group. Griffin is 9th in the NFL since coming into the league in QB hits and 16th in sacks. He will be 33 in December and I’m sure he’d like to end his career with a ring.
Darron Lee
After playing 62%, 92%, and 72% of the defensive snaps in his first three years on the Jets, Lee was regulated to special teams duties in his one year with the Chiefs last year. The Eagles emphasized speed in their linebacker additions in the draft, and Lee ran a 4.47 in the 2016 combine. Adding more speed and youth to the linebacker depth wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Is there a free agent you’d like to see added? Let us know in the comments!
Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
