The Philadelphia Eagles were very aggressive during the opening stint of free agency, but with around $24M in cap space remaining, they still have plenty of room to sign a couple more key pieces for the 2024 season.
Although the free agency pool has been depleted, there are still some great fits for the Birds. Here’s a look at some of the top remaining players who Howie Roseman might well have a vested interest in.
Eagles need: TE2
C.J Uzomah
Tyler Kroft
Blake Bell
There really aren’t many viable TE2 names on the market right now, but the most appealing would easily be C.J Uzomah.
Uzomah started 8 games last year before a knee injury sent him to IR. His receiving numbers have dropped off in each of the last three years, but he’s entering his tenth NFL season and has 1,881 total yards and 16 touchdowns to his name. His days as a leading TE are in the rear-view mirror but as someone who can at least provide a soft pair of hands in relief of Goedert, he could be an option worth looking at.
The Eagles will likely target this spot in the upcoming NFL Draft, however.
Team need: Slot receiver
Russell Gage
DJ Chark
Laviska Shenault
Richie James
Olamide Zaccheaus
The Eagles did just sign DeVante Parker to their roster, but he’s hardly a speed guy or someone that can actually test the back end of a defense reliably. Someone like Russell Gage or DJ Chark would at least give the Eagles that option, but they love finding speedsters in the NFL Draft and developing them.
The safe bet would be to bring back Olamide Zaccheaus for another rodeo, who stepped up to the plate on several occasions when Quez Watkins was unable to get going or was unavailable. He flashed a lot of potential during his 2022 campaign with Atlanta and had a few more glimmers of excellence in his lone season in Philadelphia. He should be a cheap and cheerful option who would give the Eagles some flexibility at the WR3 spot.
Team need: OL Depth
Cody Whitehair
Andre Dillard
Connor Williams
Halapoulivaati Vaitai
Brian Allen
Dalton Risner
Jack Driscoll just signed with the Dolphins, leaving the Eagles without a true backup to Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata. Someone like Big V or Dillard would make sense here if they were open to returns, but again, Howie Roseman might see it more beneficial to attack this area through the NFL Draft.
At guard, a player like Dalton Risner could be a great option. He played in 745 offensive snaps last season and garnered a PFF grade of 57.1, which isn’t great, but it’s not terrible. He’s 6’5, 312 lbs, and could be a versatile backup who has only missed 4 games in his 5-year career.
The only downside is he appears to want a starting role, but if the Eagles allowed him to compete with an inexperienced guard such as Cam Jurgens or Tyler Steen, it’s not the worst decision in the world.
Team need: Linebacker
Isaiah Simmons
Kamu Grugier-Hill
Eric Wilson
Blake Martinez
Isaiah Simmons is probably the most established linebacker remaining in free agency and would be a welcome addition to a bare-bones group, while a KGH reunion would present some special teams upside. He’s sustained a strong NFL career and remained a strong special teams performer.
The ideal option would be to build the position through the NFL Draft, but bringing a veteran like Simmons in would certainly bolster the position.
Team need: Cornerback
Adoree Jackson
Avonte Maddox
Rock Ya-Sin
Kristin Fulton
Ahkello Witherspoon
The Eagles are in a tricky spot at corner. They can’t really move on from James Bradberry or Darius Slay and have plenty of young corners chomping at the bit for an opportunity. However, they did let Avonte Maddox walk and might well need some depth at the nickel spot ahead of Zech McPhearson if they don’t fully trust their young crop of corners to hold the fort.
A guy like Adoree Jackson would make sense here. The former first-round pick spent a large chunk of last season working from the slot in New York. He’s a physical tackler, but has often battled injuries. Jackson ended 2023 with 63 tackles, an interception, and 8 pass breakups and would be a great candidate to compete for a starting slot role.
Team need: safety
Justin Simmons
Eddie Jackson
Marcus Maye
Jayron Kearse
Keanu Neal
Adrian Amos
Ugo Amadi
The Eagles did bring in Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, but is more help needed on the back end? Potentially. Eddie Jackson and Marcus Maye feel like similar signings, and both would be cheaper than Simmons, who is clearly still waiting for a big payday.
Personally, I like Keanu Neal. He’s a physical safety who can play in the box which would be useful in Fangio’s scheme and his 2023 season ended prematurely due to a rib injury. He started 8 games for Pittsburgh before that, racking up 50 tackles, an interception, and two passes defensed in the process. He’d likely be very cheap due to his injury status and could be a great rotational piece to the secondary.
AP Photo/Jack Dempsey, File
