The Linc – Why Howie Roseman is being so cautious with the Eagles’ cap

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Explaining Howie Roseman’s focus on the future cap – PhillyCoverCorner

Every team in the league would trade places with the Eagles who have very good players, mostly young and signed for several years, at QB, both WR spots, RB, four OL positions, several on the DL, two young CBs, and LB. But while enviable, Howie has a problem trying to keep them all together and not get into a cap mess. […] In 2025 the Eagles core consumes 44% of the cap and next year grows to just over 51%, both very manageable numbers. But in 2027 as the Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith extensions hit and the other contracts continue to grow, the core hits almost 60% of the $328M cap. And then, even assuming Baun and Saquon leave and Lane Johnson retires in 2028, the core approaches 70% of the cap for the 2028 season for just 11 players. The remaining $120-130M of free cap space may look like a lot but that means 40 cap-eligible players share that total. Again, it’s a good problem to have but it shows why the Eagles weren’t going to sign a $25-30M multi-year contract like Milt’s or (ridiculously) trade for Myles Garrett.

Why the upcoming draft is crucial to the Eagles’ free agency strategy – The Athletic

The Eagles may soon have to make a similar decision with tight end Dallas Goedert, who’s entering the final year of his contract and has a $23.8 million cap hit in 2026 tied up in cash bonuses. Grant Calcaterra, a 2022 sixth-round pick, produced a career-high 298 receiving yards and a touchdown in 2024. But it’d behoove the Eagles to pursue another tight end in the draft if they decide to move on from Goedert. Again, plenty of importance rests on the development of the next generation of Eagles. If the organization doesn’t cultivate young talent, it will be forced to pursue it elsewhere — and at a higher cost that Philly may not be able to afford. “We feel like that if we can do this gradually, there will never be a year where we’re going to have to kind of start with cutting a ton of players,” Roseman said. “So I think we’re trying to gradually try to implement young players, and the key to that is bringing in good players, bringing in good young players and making sure that these guys are ready to contribute to our team.”

In Roob’s Observations: A common thread in all Eagles’ offseason additions – NBCSP

1A. Harrison Bryant had a career-low nine catches last year. Joshua Uche has just five sacks in nearly 600 snaps the last two seasons. Adoree’ Jackson has two interceptions in 4,547 snaps in his last 83 games. A.J. Dillon missed last year with a neck injury. Avery Williams missed the 2023 season with a torn ACL. Kenyon Green was the lowest-rated guard in the NFL in both of his two years as a starter, according to Pro Football Focus. Patrick Johnson is an edge rusher with no career sacks in 517 career defensive snaps. Kylen Granson’s catches dropped from 61 in 2002 and 2023 to 14 last year. Dorian Thompson-Robinson has the worst TD-INT ratio in the NFL in the last 40 years. There’s your Eagles offseason haul. When you’re in the position the Eagles are in, this is what you get in free agency. Every single addition has a big, giant question mark attached. Either a drop in production, a serious injury or just a career that never got going. Not one of them is guaranteed a roster spot and not one of them carries a big enough salary cap figure to matter if they don’t make the team. But most of them at some point were pretty highly regarded. Jackson and Green were 1st-round picks, Uche and Dillon were 2nd-round picks, Granson and Bryant 4th-rounders and Avery and DTR 5th-rounders. It’s been hard to watch free agency gut the Eagles’ roster, and most of these guys aren’t going to replace the guys the Eagles lost. But if you take these additions for what they are – zero-risk guys who were once highly regarded and might help this year but won’t affect the cap if they don’t – it all makes sense. A lot of these guys are insurance in case the youngsters – Tyler Steen, Kelee Ringo, Sydney Brown, etc. – don’t pan out. And a big part of adding these sorts of players is trust in an outstanding group of position coaches to get the most out of guys whose careers haven’t gone the way they hoped. Kind of how they jump-started the careers of Mekhi Becton and Zack Baun. Everything to gain, nothing to lose. Considering the cap squeeze the Eagles found themselves in, it’s not a bad haul.

Eight young Eagles players who should have elevated roles in 2025 – PhillyVoice

RG Tyler Steen (24): Steen lost training camp battles for the starting RG job in each of his first two seasons in the NFL. He lost to Cam Jurgens in 2023, and Mekhi Becton in 2024. In 2025, his primary competition (so far) appears to be 2022 Texans first-round pick Kenyon Green, who the Eagles traded for in free agency. The Eagles could also select a lineman in the draft who could compete for that spot as well. But 2025 is probably Steen’s best chance of breaking through.

Taking Stock – Iggles Blitz

The theme for his group is depth and competition. There could be a couple of starters in the group. We have to wait and see how things shake out. Dillon gives the Eagles a true backup RB. If Barkley had gone down last year, would Kenny Gainwell have been able to truly fill in? His career high in carries is 14. His career high in yards is 78. Gainwell is a good role player, but he’s never been a workhorse in the NFL, even for a single game. Dillon has 7 games with 18 or more carries. He has 4 games with 20 or more carries. He can be a workhorse when needed. He’s also been effective as part of a RB rotation. If the Eagles are going to be a running team, they need a workhorse runner (Barkley) and a viable backup (Dillon). I think Will Shipley can fill Gainwell’s role as the third down/2-minute RB. TE is a mystery position. We keep hearing about Dallas Goedert being available via trade. Nothing has happened yet, but there is too much smoke for this to be a bogus rumor. Bryant gives the Eagles an in-line TE who can block and catch. Granson is a flex TE who can move around and make plays with his athleticism. You can think of him as a more exprerienced, more productive version of Grant Calcaterra. If Goedert is dealt, the Eagles will need another TE to add to the mix. They could do that via the draft, where there is a deep class of TE prospects.

2025 NFL Power Rankings: Where all 32 teams stand after free agency – PFF

2. Philadelphia Eagles. Bringing back Defensive Player of the Year candidate Zack Baun was pivotal for the Eagles, but they lost several key contributors in free agency — Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, Darius Slay, Isaiah Rodgers, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson — from what was the highest-graded defense in the NFL. If left unaddressed, those losses will be felt in 2025. However, Philadelphia has a proven track record of elevating under-the-radar signings, and if they manage to repeat that success, the drop-off should be marginal. After all… to be the best, you have to beat the best.

Philadelphia Eagles NFL Draft 2025 Positional Needs: Running Back – BGN

Even with the addition of Dillon in free agency, Philadelphia would be wise to bring in a back to challenge Lew Nichols and Tyrion Davis-Price for depth. Dillon is coming off a neck injury that caused him to miss all of last season and the last two games of the 2023 season so it’s unclear how healthy (or rusty) he’ll be.

Mekhi Becton thanks the Eagles for making him better as he leaves for the Chargers – PFT

Becton singled out Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland as a man who has made a difference in his career. “Coach Jeff Stoutland, thank you,” Becton wrote. “From Day One you believed in me, even before I fully believed in myself, you saw something in me, challenged me and pushed me to reach a level I never knew I had. You made me a better player but more importantly, a better man.” The Eagles helped Becton grow into a better version of himself than the Jets ever saw, and he helped them win a Super Bowl. And the Chargers now stand to benefit.

A.J. Brown reveals mannequin collection, pokes fun at Isaiah Rodgers – ESPN

A.J. Brown made headlines last month when he honored his Super Bowl win with a jersey mannequin. However, that proved to be just a small part of his mannequin collection. On Saturday, the Philadelphia Eagles star receiver showed off not one, but nine different mannequins. Each model included a uniform for every one of Brown’s career stops, from his time with the Ole Miss Rebels to his old baseball digs. Of course, Brown also showcased his game-worn Super Bowl uniform in the set.

Browns QB Kenny Pickett: What 1 year with the Super Bowl champion Eagles led to – Dawgs By Nature

The Cleveland Browns acquisition of QB Kenny Pickett in a trade has very few fans excited but, in the era of reclamation projects, could Pickett be next? A year with the Philadelphia Eagles doesn’t mean Pickett is ready to live up to his first round status but we saw Baker Mayfield turn part of a season with the Los Angles Rams and Sam Darnold turn one year with the Minnesota Vikings into success. Did the same thing happen with Pickett with the Eagles? Those are mighty high expectations for a quarterback who was widely considered to be overdrafted by a couple of rounds and lacks some of the physical traits that Mayfield and Darnold (and even Daniel Jones) have. We reached out to our partner at Bleeding Green Nation about Pickett’s one year in Philadelphia. Their Producer, Brandon Gowton, provided us some insight on Cleveland’s new quarterback.

Commanders new-look roster beginning to take shape – Hogs Haven

The Commanders’ roster is beginning to take shape after almost a week of free agency. Adams Peters pulled off some big trades that helped the offense greatly. There are still some names to monitor, but the way things appear at the moment, Washington will likely head into the draft to round out this roster. Below is a look at what Washington has done to help improve the roster and where they still need some help.

What the Cowboys are getting by trading for linebacker Kenneth Murray – Blogging The Boys

The Cowboys are better at linebacker than they were before free agency started and with their new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus specializing in linebacker, it’s reasonable to be optimistic about the addition of Murray. There’s certainly something to work with. At the same time, it’s wise to temper expectations as well. There will be plays where fans won’t be happy and opposing teams will run off a big play. How effective he’ll be for the Cowboys is a big TBD. With Liufau building off a good rookie season and the hope that Overshown eventually returns, there is a shiny light way down yonder. The Cowboys need to buy themselves some time and the trade for Murray helps them do that. As long as we have a realistic expectation of what they’re getting, fans should be satisfied with this move.

Three remaining free agents who could help the New York Giants – Big Blue View

1) A quarterback…or two. The Giants have to figure out their quarterback situation. Tommy DeVito is the lone signal caller on the roster. Everyone from Schoen to the janitor at 1925 Giants Drive understands the importance of the quarterback situation, especially after the disastrous 2024 season. There are three available quarterbacks on Rosenthal’s list: Aaron Rodgers, Jameis Winston, and Russell Wilson. All three should be on the Giants’ radar. Rodgers is presumably waiting and hoping for the Minnesota Vikings to sign him, which would complete the 360 Favre Arch. Pittsburgh is also vying for Rodgers’ skill set. New York is stuck twiddling its thumbs until Rodgers’ situation unfolds, for the future Hall of Famer still offers Schoen the best chance to compete realistically in 2025. Rodgers may also be attempting to pit the Giants and Steelers against each other for more guaranteed money in 2026, as Big Blue Interactive suggests. Regardless, the Giants must cross their t’s and dot their i’s to ensure their quarterback room is not barren heading into the draft. Jameis Winston’s volatility doesn’t seem to mesh with Brian Daboll’s style, but I would advocate for the veteran based on his peaks, although his valleys are low. Wilson is another option the Giants should consider, albeit with some hesitation. If New York misses on Rodgers — and possibly even if they sign Rodgers — they should double dip in the free agent market if possible. Wilson plus Winston; Winston plus someone not on Rosenthal’s list, like Joe Flacco or Carson Wentz.

NFL news roundup: Free-agent QB Jameis Winston scheduled to visit Giants – NFL.com

QB Jameis Winston is scheduled to visit the Giants on Tuesday, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported. [Former Eagles] WR Zach Pascal is visiting the Giants on Monday, NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo reported.

Your daily NFL trivia game, Monday edition – SB Nation

Think you can figure out what NFL player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out.

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