Eagles fans have experienced a rollercoaster of emotions since the legal tampering period began. Despite being linked with a myriad of free agents who signed elsewhere, Howie was able to bring in a top free agent at a position of need.
The move for one of the best pass rushers in football had the city excited for a good 12 hours. Since then however, the Eagles have been quiet, outside of a couple of RFA Tenders being handed out to roster bubble players, and fan favorites.
But for the most part since the tampering period began, the Eagles have been relatively quiet. While reports have seen them interested in some of the top safeties and receivers in the league, they’ve struck out on almost every big signing to this point.
The Eagles missing on some top players at other positions of need has worried fans over the last 24 hours. Even though the Eagles made the playoffs last year, it’s clear that the team has a lot of holes as they look to build off a 9-8 year. The more they miss on top safeties or receivers, the panic will only grow in Philadelphia.
But there’s just one thing to keep in mind: R-E-L-A-X.
The front office deserves their chance
Much will be argued that the Eagles front office has made too many mistakes over the decade to get the benefit of the doubt. However, over the last year, the Eagles front office has shown a completely different approach to how they want to build a team.
Bargain-bin free agents and excellent trades set up the Eagles perfectly for this upcoming offseason and if last years’ draft is anything to go off, they should be set to make the most of it.
If the front office doesn’t want to overpay for some of the top free agents, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It means they learned from 2020 and won’t just throw money out to appease some of the fanbase.
Not every free agent works out. And in the early stage of free agency, lucrative contracts are given out to average players. The talent never matches the contract given at this time. It’s smart for Howie Roseman and the Eagles front office to remain patient to this point.
Not every good FA is gone
For the most part, a majority of the players that fit the Eagles’ needs are still on the open market.
Tyrann Mathieu is still available and there aren’t many other safety-needy teams left. Then you have value signings like Xavier Rhodes that would be a perfect fit in the Jonathan Gannon system. He won’t be the first free agent taken with him being 32, but it’s clear he can still play and would come pretty cheap.
And how about JuJu Smith-Schuster? Reports state that his market has been empty. Noone really wants to deal with the headache when there are other younger and healthier players in the draft ready to be poached. He would come pretty cheap for the team. Why wouldn’t the Eagles take a cheap flier on him?
There are plenty of options that fit this Eagles team and won’t break the bank. Going with value signings based on roster fit is the smart choice for a team that has three first round picks.
Don’t forget about Haason Reddick
For some reason, it seems fans are forgetting about just how good Haason Reddick is. 23.5 sacks, can be all over the field, and is an excellent piece for Gannon to set up for success. His contract is also very flexible with the Eagles.
A player like this coming in can completely change the outlook of an overall defense. Reddick can help solidify a pass rush that can get to the QB much better than in past years that ultimately hides an average secondary while dominating the line of scrimmage.
Reddick fills a massive hole on the roster that will make this team better. Sometimes all you need is one free agent to change the course of a team’s history.
And boy did the Eagles get a good one.
Long way to go
Free agency has just started. The top free agents or first players taken, don’t necessarily mean the team is going to be successful. Value signings are the most important for teams looking to get to the playoffs.
So far the Eagles front office has done a good job to this point. And as free agency officially begins today, fans just need to be patient as the team builds another winner together.
Photo by John Jones/Icon Sportswire
