Eagles’ Early-Offseason Takeaways: Key Players Signed; Now It’s Time to Add
Weeks removed from winning the Super Bowl, the Philadelphia Eagles went to work.
Some cuts were made. Players were extended.
Let’s discuss what has been and what’s to be.
Slay and Bradberry Released; Mitchell and DeJean the Future
Both members of the dynamic cornerback duo the Eagles boasted in their first Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs were designated as post-June 1 releases—Darius Slay and James Bradberry are gone.
Now, I understand not being upset that Bradberry is gone. After that magical season, it just hasn’t been the same. He was overpaid.
But it is a little sad to see such a great duo depart so quickly.
With that being said, Slay could come back. The Eagles parted ways with Fletcher Cox before re-signing him in the 2022 offseason in a similar manner. Since Slay’s still an impact player, it’s reasonable to assume that the door’s still open. On the other hand, Bradberry is almost definitely gone for good, though.
That aside, this all signals one thing: There’s a new future in Philadelphia, and it starts with Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.
Howie Roseman and the Eagles did it again. What else is there to say? They had a slam-dunk draft class, turning a position of weakness into one where they could release two players without caring all that much.
Just 23 and 22 years old, respectively, Mitchell and DeJean may potentially be the future. That’s high praise, considering they were drafted less than a calendar year ago but were immediately high-impact players. I mean, it doesn’t get more “high-impact” than a pick-six against Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl, does it?
The Eagles’ secondary got worse. But there’s some long-term promise here for the first time in a while. Roseman’s actions regarding Slay and Bradberry greatly compliment the two rookies.
Eagles Get Priorities Out of the Way: Barkley and Baun
Roseman got his priorities out of the way by giving Saquon Barkley and Zack Baun extensions. No overthinking here—the two All-Pros are back.
Barkley still had two years left on his deal, so making him the highest-paid running back in NFL history ($41.2 million over two seasons, expiring in the 2029 offseason) wasn’t technically necessary. But at the same time, it was.
Across sports, many teams have a false idea of what “culture” really means. What the Eagles did with Barkley is truly a culture-setting move.
PHOTO: Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images
Since 2017, only the Eagles and Chiefs have won multiple Super Bowls. It says a lot to players when a team that good is willing to reward its superstars, even when they’re not obligated to. This sends a message. Philadelphia should be atop every free agent’s destination list, at least from that perspective.
A must-sign player this offseason was Baun, and Roseman didn’t take long to make it happen. Three years, $51 million total—he’s an Eagle for good.
Both the term and the money are pretty solid for the Eagles here, as Baun is still just 28 years old. In theory, he should remain an impact player, and for a relatively affordable price. He probably could’ve taken Philadelphia to the cleaners, but he didn’t.
Baun was good and consistent enough to the point where it’s doubtful he’s a one-season wonder. It’s always possible, sure, but this was a player Roseman had to bring back. Philadelphia likely doesn’t sniff the Super Bowl without him.
Eagles’ Potential Free-Agent Departures
The Eagles will lose some players to free agency. That’s just how it’s going to be.
So, who may be departing? That list is below:
- Offense: Mekhi Becton, Parris Campbell, Le’Raven Clark, Jack Driscoll, Kenneth Gainwell, Fred Johnson, C.J. Uzomah
- Defense: Oren Burks, Avonte Maddox, Isaiah Rodgers, Josh Sweat, Milton Williams
- Special Teams: Britain Covey, Rick Lovato
To me, here are the big ones: Becton, Sweat, and Williams. They have reason to demand big paydays, so none of them may return.
The Eagles could get compensated for Sweat and Williams’ potential departures via draft picks, but those losses would be painful. And not just on the field, either. Sweat debuted in 2018, and Williams in 2021—that’s a long time with one team, for Sweat especially. Love hurts (pun intended).
While it wouldn’t be ideal to have this many departures, the Eagles’ core would remain intact.
So, at the end of the day, this team is very much in a position to run it back. But they’ll still need some help.
Myles Garrett/Trey Hendrickson Time?
I don’t know about you, but I’ve already convinced myself that one of Myles Garrett or Trey Hendrickson will be an Eagle in light of their trade requests. That’s just what this team does. Boldness, not complacency, is an ideology that permeates the front office.
With the Cleveland Browns being one of the worst teams in the NFL and Garrett being 29 years of age, three career playoff games likely aren’t cutting it. He wants a championship.
As for Hendrickson, it just seems like there’s a disconnect between him and the Cincinnati Bengals. He’s 30, so slightly older, but one of the best in the game all the same. He had a league-leading 17.5 sacks last season.
The Eagles are probably the perfect destination for these guys. So, if the Browns and Bengals are willing to play, this could be the juice Philadelphia needs to maximize their potential of repeating as champions.
Plus, another 2024 All-Pro on the roster would be super fun.
I want to watch football every week again, and I’m sure you do, too. But the offseason helps to make up for that just a tad—it’s an exciting time of the year.
We’ll keep you in the loop the entire way. Only six months until NFL football is back…
PHOTO: Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images
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