The Philadelphia Eagles went on the road and defeated the Los Angeles Rams in impressive fashion, winning by a final score of 37-20. Yet Philadelphia’s seventh consecutive win was quickly overshadowed by a significant loss.
Following the game, Eagles edge rusher Brandon Graham revealed that he would miss the remainder of the season due to suffering torn triceps against the Rams. Now Philadelphia will be forced to fill a massive void on the edge created by Graham’s absence.
Considering that the NFL trade deadline has passed and Bryce Huff was recently placed on injured reserve, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has limited options to address a need on the edge at this point in the season.
While the Eagles have Tarron Jackson and Ochaun Mathis on the practice squad, neither player has much experience. Graham played 46% of Philadelphia’s defensive snaps this season and they’ll need to make an addition to the active roster following his injury.
Here are 13 potential targets that Roseman could consider signing in the coming weeks.
Free Agent Targets the Eagles should look at
- Jason Pierre-Paul
- Rasheem Green
- Justin Houston
- Kemoko Turay
- Melvin Ingram
- Shaq Lawson
- Frank Clark
- Bruce Irvin
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was with the Miami Dolphins last season. The Dolphins were decimated by injuries on the edge and added several players on this list late in the regular season in 2023.
Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Houston, Melvin Ingram and Bruce Irvin all spent time with the Dolphins in Fangio’s defense last season. Although it’s fair to point out that all four players are well past their prime and likely don’t have anything significant to offer in 2024.
Rasheem Green could be the most intriguing free agent available, given his age and experience working with Eagles defensive line coach Clint Hurtt during their time together with the Seattle Seahawks. Green is just 27-years old, two years younger than any other player on this list of free agent targets.
Frank Clark overlapped with Hurtt in Seattle for three seasons as well. While Clark recorded five sacks for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022, he failed to record a sack last season while splitting time with the Seahawks and Denver Broncos.
Shaq Lawson is the only player on this list of free agents that has actually played in a regular season game this season. Lawson suited up for the Carolina Panthers in their 40-7 blowout loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 7.
While Kemoko Turay doesn’t have any experience working with Fangio or Hurtt, he was on the Indianapolis Colts for three seasons with Nick Sirianni. He is also a New Jersey native that played college football at Rutgers. Turay was with the Panthers during training camp before signing with the St. Louis Battlehawks of the UFL in October.
Practice Squad Targets
- William Bradley-King, MIA
- Boogie Basham, NYG
- Andre Carter II, MIN
- Takk McKinley, NYJ
- Derek Rivers, IND
Roseman loves targeting former high draft picks when poaching talent from opposing practice squads or making additions to Philadelphia’s practice squad. While William Bradley-King was just a seventh-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Eagles did plenty of homework on him leading up to the event.
Boogie Basham was a second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. The New York Giants traded for Basham in 2023 and he has recorded just 12 total tackles in 14 games. Roseman could take a chance on Basham, hoping that Fangio and Hurtt could finally unlock his potential.
The Eagles did tons of homework on former Army edge rusher Andre Carter II ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. While Carter received buzz that had many believing he would be selected on day two of the event, he eventually went undrafted and signed with the Minnesota Vikings. Now Roseman could poach Carter and his promising 6’6, 256 lb. frame away from Minnesota’s practice squad.
Takk McKinley was a first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and hasn’t lived up to the hype. Yet he showed plenty of flashes for the New York Jets during the preseason in 2024. McKinley has recorded nine total tackles, one tackle for loss and half a sack in seven games for the Jets this season.
Derek Rivers is a former third-round pick that hasn’t met expectations given his size and athletic ability. Rivers has spent the last few seasons in the AFC South between stints with the Houston Texans and Colts. The Eagles could find Rivers appealing due to his rare traits.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
