Late Free Agent Additions the Eagles Should Consider
With Organized Team Activities coming to a close, we are getting closer and closer to Week 1 of the 2023 NFL Season.
From now through training camp, teams establish their current roster construction and how to improve it.
Luckily for the Eagles, this is a much easier task than it is likely to be for most of the league.
When you look at the current roster, there isn’t a position where you could label it a hole; the few positions that do need improvement are more so question marks.
It’s hard to tell right now if we need a linebacker because we’ve yet to see Nakobe Dean in live action. The same can be said about Reed Blankenship starting at safety.
Although he saw defensive snaps last year, it is hard to gauge where he’ll be in year 2.
Of the current remaining free agents, there are a few that I’d like to see the Eagles pursue.
Yannick Ngakoue, EDGE
Yannick Ngakoue is one of the remaining free agents, but I can’t quite understand why. Yannick is only 28 years old and has thrived in 5 different systems. After his rookie contract with the Jaguars ended, he bounced around to 4 other teams. While doing so, he was still able to record 8 or more sacks each season. In fact, he’s never had a season with less than 8 sacks. I find this so impressive because he has been in different systems each year for the past 4 years.
You can’t argue his ability to get after the quarterback. Sliding him into a rotational role pass rushing with the guys already on the roster would be insane. Constantly having Pro Bowl-caliber pass rushers coming in fresh throughout an opposing team’s drive would be a nightmare for them.
It could work for both sides if Yannick is willing to take a slight pay cut to compete on a winning football team. Howie Roseman has made it very evident that he is willing to invest in the trenches. I could see this being similar to the addition of C.J. Gardner-Johnson late last offseason.
Trai Turner, OG
The Eagles’ offensive line is the best in the entire NFL. It’s not very close. Trai Turner is a great-depth piece that wouldn’t cost that much; I say depth lightly. You may have never heard of him, but Trai Turner made the Pro Bowl every year from 2015 to 2019. He has the potential to be the starter if Cam Jurgens doesn’t work well at guard. At only 29, Trai has a lot of good football in front of him.
Whether or not Cam Jurgens can solidify the open guard spot remains to be seen. Regardless of that, having depth is important for late-season playoff runs. His last two contracts were both for $3,000,000 annually, which is a price tag the Eagles could afford.
Landon Collins, S/LB
Eagles fans should all be relatively familiar with Landon Collins. He was an absolute monster for the Giants and was a regular at the Pro Bowl, making three appearances. After his rookie contract ended with the Giants, he went to the Washington Commanders for a couple of years, where he battled with injuries. Last year he went back to the Giants but only played in 6 games.
The Giants may see a way of retaining him, but if not, he could be discounted enough for the Eagles to take a swing. Landon is explosive coming downhill and is an excellent tackler. Five of his eight seasons have been seasons with 95+ tackles, and he can line up in both the linebacker and safety spot. His market value is still unclear, but I’d love the Eagles to take a chance on him if his injuries plague his value.
Adrian Amos, S
The Eagles have two positions on defense that could be labeled with a question mark, safety, and linebacker. The Eagles currently have quite a few options to fill the hole C.J. Gardner Johnson and Marcus Epps left. Reed Blankenship has become the most likely player to become the starter for week 1.
Adrian Amos is 30 years old and has been a reliable safety throughout his career. He constantly plays the entire season and doesn’t struggle with injury. A pickup like this would be more of a filler until Sydney Brown is ready to take over. Blankenship’s play in training camp will be very telling when it comes to their safety depth.
Whether it’s one of these players or someone else, there are plenty of talented players still available.
I don’t think Howie is done yet, and it’ll be interesting to see how he finishes an already strong off-season.
Photo: Chat Sports/Eagles Now
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