Eagles roster outlook: Specialists
The Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl season is over and the 2025 NFL offseason is officially here. We’re concluding our Eagles roster outlook series by examining the specialists.
PREVIOUSLY: Quarterback | Running back | Tight end | Wide receiver | Offensive tackle | Offensive guard | Center | Edge rusher | Defensive tackle | Cornerback | Linebacker | Safety.
THE PLAYERS
JAKE ELLIOTT
STATS: 28/36 (77.8%) on field goal attempts, 47/48 (97.9%) on extra point attempts
PLAYOFF STATS: 10/11 (90.9%) on field goal attempts, 13/16 (81.3%) on extra point attempts
REVIEW: After a career season in 2023 (second-team All-Pro), Elliott struggled in 2024. Between the regular season and playoffs combined, he missed 13 kicks. For perspective, Elliott only missed 11 kicks from 2021 through 2023. Elliott especially struggled from distance, where he made just two of his nine attempts from at least 50 yards. And both of those makes were from exactly 50 yards out. One of them came in the Eagles’ Super Bowl win, where he finished the season strong by going 3/3 on field goals and 4/4 on extra points.
OUTLOOK: Elliott, who turned 30 in January, is under contract through 2028. It’s not financially feasible to move on from him until after 2025. But the Eagles will hope it doesn’t come to that. And it might not! Elliott previously had an even worse season in 2020 and he bounced back from that with a Pro Bowl appearance the next year. Sometimes good kickers just have down seasons. Also, it’s probably worth noting that former Eagle Beau Allen mentioned on Chris Long’s Green Light podcast that Elliott was playing through an injury in 2024.
MY TAKE: Stay.
BRADEN MANN
STATS: 41.9 net yards per punt
Final punter rankings of the year (minimum 10 punts)! pic.twitter.com/j8vYRLEvrf
— Puntalytics (@ThePuntRunts) January 6, 2025
PLAYOFF STATS: 40.7 net yards per punt
Punter Playoff Performance
Congrats to Super Bowl winning punter Braden Mann. We’ve never doubted you pic.twitter.com/ZsRXPPx9kV
— Puntalytics (@ThePuntRunts) February 10, 2025
REVIEW: Mann was solid yet unspectacular in 2024. He made some real crucial holds on errant long snaps in the playoffs. He also newly took over as the Eagles’ new kickoff guy in the NFL’s new kickoff return format. He had some struggles there later in the regular season, leading to Elliott taking back that role.
OUTLOOK: Mann, 27, is signed through 2025. We’ll see if the Eagles choose to extend him or opt to let him play on a contract season. Either option seems fine.
MY TAKE: Stay.
RICK LOVATO
REVIEW: It seemed like the Eagles’ long snapper had some off targets snaps this season; Mann bailed him out in some cases.
OUTLOOK: Lovato, who will turn 33 this season, is set to be a free agent. The Eagles might re-sign him to another one-year deal. Might be good to bring in an undrafted rookie free agent to give him competition for making the 2025 roster.
MY TAKE: Stay.
NFL FREE AGENCY OR TRADES
The Eagles won’t be acquiring a veteran kicker or punter. But they might want to see if they can upgrade on Lovato.
NFL DRAFT APPROACH
The Eagles haven’t drafted a specialist since taking Alex Henery in the 2011 NFL Draft. That’s not going to change this year.
They could look to sign a kicker and/or a long snapper in undrafted free agency to provide training camp competition.
