It sounds like the Eagles’ roster will be constructed a bit differently this spring.
Last off-season, Howie Roseman pulled off perhaps the best free agent signing in both Philadelphia sports and NFL history in signing Saquon Barkley to a three-year, $37.75 million contract, landed free agent bust Bryce Huff with a three-year, $51 million contract, inked C.J. Gardner-Johnson to a three-year deal and added Zack Baun on a one-year pact. He also traded away Haason Reddick to the Jets, and had one of the best drafts in franchise history, too.
In short, Roseman was busy. He made big moves from the start of free agency and never really stopped until Opening Day, picking up Jahan Dotson in training camp, too.
On Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Roseman addressed the media and talked a bit about this upcoming off-season. In short, Howie sought to tamp down on expectations the team would be big spenders in free agency or on the trade market fresh off the team’s second Super Bowl victory.
“We have challenges because we have a lot of good players and we have long-term contracts with a lot of our players who are in their prime,” Roseman said. “My expectations aren’t that we’re going to have to lose a lot of players and that means that there are excuses for next season. It’s just, it’s going to look different.”
How could this off-season look “different?”
First, it would make sense if the team’s top priority is to retain as many of their own free agents as make sense. Chief among them, it appears, according to the Inquirer’s Jeff McLane, All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun will be a top priority.
The Eagles have made re-signing Zack Baun a priority ahead of free agency, NFL sources said… … “Obviously a phenomenal season — first-team All-Pro, top-five defensive player of the year. Tremendous person, tremendous character,” Roseman said of Baun on Tuesday. “Made a huge difference during the regular season, made a huge difference during the playoffs, made a huge difference in the Super Bowl.
“And so, those are guys that you obviously want to keep. There’s no doubt about it, we’ll make a concerted effort to try to keep him here. But … obviously he has an opportunity to hit free agency.”
Re-signing Baun should be the team’s No. 1 priority this off-season for a number of reasons. First, Nakobe Dean’s knee injury could sideline him for a majority of the 2025 season, and while Oren Burks performed heroically in his absence, making him the No. 1 linebacker on the depth chart is no way to begin a title defense.
Second, Baun’s impact on the field cannot be overstated. The Eagles have not had a linebacker play like this since the glory days of Jeremiah Trotter, Sr., and we saw the impact he had in virtually every game this season. He’s a perfect fit for Vic Fangio’s scheme. The Eagles need him.
Third, if you watched any of the NFL Films Mic’d Up or other behind the scenes footage of this team throughout the season, it became clear Baun was an unquestioned team leader inside the locker room. These kinds of players don’t grow on trees.
Of course, Milton Williams is a 25-year-old pass rushing tackle on the rise. All things being equal, he may have the most value of any pending free agent. Josh Sweat is a 27-year-old edge rusher who is streaky, but had a solid season and performed his best in the Super Bowl. Becton proved to be one of the best offensive guards in the league, and we all know how much the league values great offensive line play.
The Eagles would love to keep them all, but Roseman made clear that simply won’t be possible.
Unlike previous off-seasons where it appeared Roseman had money flowing from his pockets to scatter across the roster, those previous decisions will also prevent him from signing external free agents. The team would also like to spend some money giving players like center Cam Jugens the extensions they need/deserve.
“It’s probably not going to look like maybe the [way] conventional wisdom thinks it should look,” Roseman said of this impending off-season. “When I look at some of the decisions that we have to do, we’re going to have to trade off in some other areas.”
Most Eagles fans are salivating at the thought of the team adding a stud edge rusher like Cleveland’s Myles Garrett in a trade, but how realistic is that? It depends. Roseman was asked about the possibility, but refused to speculate.
“Anytime that you’re talking about giving up a high pick and a lot of money for a player, it’s also got to fit where you are as a team,” he said. “It’s got to fit where you are from a cap perspective, all those things have to match up. And so we look at all those.
“There’s a lot of attractive items out there, you know, and we spend a lot of time talking about every position and every good player, and we’re selfish. We want everyone, but at the end of the day, it’s just not the position we’re in right now.”
The cost would be steep, likely at least one first-round draft pick and possibly two, given how late in the first round the Eagles are likely to draft over the next couple years. Add on a restructured contract that would almost certainly be required, and it’s tough to see how it happens.
No one manipulates the cap better than Roseman and the Eagles, but the piper must be paid at some point, and it appears some of that money may be due right now.
That seems to be Roseman’s message. They cannot retain everyone. Investments made in previous off-seasons necessitate a tit-for-tat approach to this off-season. The Eagles have a budget, and although the salary cap is increasing next year, the Eagles have only about $18 million in cap space right now. Only 12 teams have less. If Roseman wants to add from the outside, a corresponding departure will be required.
So, it will be difficult to say goodbye to the members of this Super Bowl winning core that may leave. Departures are going to happen. Fortunately, Jordan Davis, Jalyx Hunt, Nolan Smith, Moro Ojomo and Tyler Steen are all ready replacements. And Roseman’s last four drafts have been outstanding, so there is hope the Eagles will get real production from their ‘25 Draft selections in their rookie seasons, too.
Success brought the Eagles a Lombardi Trophy, but it will also mean some beloved players will be playing elsewhere this season.
It’s simply the cost of doing business.
