Quickly revealing the Chiefs’ tightrope walk toward a threepeat would not go the distance in Super Bowl LIX, last year’s Eagles edition cemented itself among the great modern-era NFL teams. In terms of roster strength, the 2024 Eagles proved they belonged in the conversation with the century’s best squads.
After entering last season with questions stemming from a 2023 collapse, the Eagles used a savvy offseason blueprint to assemble a force that submitted one of the great peaks in NFL history. The defending champions passed on paying some starters from last year’s outfit while using this offseason to lock down some crucial cogs as well. A similar Philly roster will attempt to run it back, and the team will enter the season as the clear frontrunner to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LX.
Extensions and restructures:
As the RB market reached rough waters exiting 2023, Roseman saw an opportunity. The Eagles landed an elite back at a reasonable price, and Roseman received deserved credit for acquiring an ultra-talented RB at a second-tier price. The six-year Giant proceeded to deliver one of the best seasons in the position’s history, going from an injury-prone player who did not have a realistic Hall of Fame case to one that has at least approached the conversation.
Barkley was on track to break Eric Dickerson‘s hallowed rushing record, before being rested in Week 18, but he did eclipse Terrell Davis‘ mark for most rush yards in a season (counting playoffs). The 1998 MVP had totaled 2,476 yards between the regular season and the Broncos’ three playoff games that year; Barkley followed his 2,005-yard regular season with 499 more in the playoffs to eclipse Davis’ mark.
It did come in one more game, as the Eagles were sent to the wild-card round as the No. 2 seed, but the upgrade from D’Andre Swift to Barkley played a lead role in Philly’s championship surge. Barkley’s 205 yards against the Rams were certainly needed to eliminate them.
The Eagles had Barkley signed through 2026 via their three-year, $37.75MM ($26MM guaranteed) contract, but the team rewarded its most talented player with a market-resetting payday. Barkley became the first running back to cross the $20MM-per-year barrier.
This second payday in two years brings a stark contrast to Barkley’s New York exit, as the Giants did not make an offer to retain him. Barkley’s success did not bode well for HBO’s chances of seeing a second Hard Knocks: Offseason effort come to pass, and he managed to score a monster payday at 28 despite missing chunks of four seasons previously.
Although this looks great for one of the RB position’s top earners, the Eagles are taking a risk based on Barkley’s past. The former Offensive Rookie of the Year has missed 26 games due to injury as a pro. His 2026 pay transformed from nonguaranteed to a $16.75MM full guarantee while the option bonus-laden (as this is the Eagles) contract includes a $2.5MM guarantee in 2027. It would cost the Eagles $16.6MM in dead money to move on in 2027. The Eagles have not shown much fear of dead money in recent years, and they will bet on the three-time Pro Bowler after his otherworldly contributions to last season’s cause.
Johnson is pushing Mike Tomlin for extension volume at this point. This is the decorated right tackle’s fifth Eagles contract. Roseman has made a habit of early extensions for his O-linemen, and Johnson has regularly been paid with multiple years left on a previous contract. The Eagles rewarded their stalwart right tackle after he collected a fifth All-Pro accolade; he joined Jurgens and Landon Dickerson as Pro Bowlers on one of the best NFL position groups this century.
Johnson, 35, has likely done enough to be enshrined in Canton. He has won two Super Bowls, helped RBs to rushing titles 11 years apart and is the last active member of Philly’s “Core Four.” This contract will be difficult to escape until at least 2027 — due to six void years being included — and then would bring a $25.53MM dead money hit. These consequences have not mattered much for the Eagles, who are ahead of the curve here. Now the NFL’s second-highest-paid RT, Johnson (just four injury-driven absences since 2022) is also aiming to play until his contract expires in 2027.
Philly’s development strategy up front is second to none, and the team now has four of its five starters on extensions worth between $17MM and $25MM per year. Jurgens impressed at guard in 2023 and in replacing Jason Kelce last season, earning his first Pro Bowl nod in 2024. This deal came after the Eagles paid Dickerson months into his first offseason of extension eligibility and gave Jordan Mailata a second extension when two years remained on his first.
Despite Jurgens’ resume not rivaling Creed Humphrey‘s, the Eagles closed the gap between the Chiefs center and the field with this accord. ESPN’s pass block win rate placed Jurgens 10th among interior O-linemen last season, though Pro Football Focus only slotted him as the game’s 14th-best center. The former second-round pick anchored the Eagles’ signature play, one that received a reprieve thanks to a hotly contested offseason vote, and the Eagles were comfortable with a top-market deal. It is difficult to doubt their O-line vision at this point, given the success in the Jeff Stoutland era.
A $14MM 2025 option bonus affected Goedert’s contract-year trade value — to the point the Eagles considered accepting 2026 draft capital in a swap. This situation differed from the Zach Ertz ending, as no Goedert-level presence lurked as an heir apparent. A steep drop-off would have come had the Eagles not found a way to retain the eight-year tight end.
Goedert, 30, has been entrenched as Philly’s No. 3 pass-game option for years and remains one of the league’s best all-around TEs. The team has seen him run into annual availability trouble, missing 20 games due to injury this decade. This led to the pay-cut ask succeeding.
The Division I-FCS product did not seek a relocation, even as his 2025 pay drops from $14.25MM to $10MM. Trade offers did emerge during this process, however, and the Eagles — thanks to their void years M.O. — will face a $20.49MM dead money hit if they do not extend Goedert by the 2026 league year.
Trades:
The Eagles also capped Gardner-Johnson’s second stint at one season, making a curious trade of a proven safety for a future Day 3 pick and a guard teetering on bust status. Gardner-Johnson said the Eagles informed him on the first night of free agency they would trade or cut him. The Eagles benefited from Gardner-Johnson’s 2024 return, after an injury-plagued Lions season, and had him on an affordable deal (three years, $27MM). That certainly made it interesting the team once again moved on early.
Despite learning another new system — his fourth defense in four years — the cover man/known agitator nabbed six INTs in 2024. That matched his 2022 Philly total and helped Vic Fangio‘s defense lead the league in yardage and finish second in points allowed. Gardner-Johnson did not carry significant guaranteed money beyond 2024 and is only going into an age-27 season. He will be positioned to boost the Texans’ secondary, while the Eagles — who used this as a cost-cutting space as Barkley, Johnson, Jurgens and Zack Baun received raises — have safety uncertainty again.
The team’s issues at the position, among other problems, in 2023 prompted the CJGJ re-signing. Philly’s 2025 approach also spotlighted the decision to move on early, as the team made an offer to Justin Reid. The Saints won out for the three-year Chiefs starter (on a three-year, $31.5MM deal). Philly, however, has also been connected to a Fangio-Justin Simmons reunion. This will be a 2026 need as well, as Reed Blankenship is on an expiring contract.
Adding to the 2024 Eagles’ achievement: their highest-paid edge rusher was a Super Bowl healthy scratch. Huff did not work out in Philly, failing to make the transition from Robert Saleh‘s scheme to Fangio’s. The former Jets situational rusher posted 10 sacks in his 2023 contract year and drew a wave of free agency attention; the Eagles won out with a three-year, $51MM deal that included $34MM at signing. By November, Huff was barely playing 20% of the Eagles’ defensive snaps. After a wrist injury led him to IR, the former UDFA find made just two more appearances and did not record a statistic in his two playoff cameos.
The Eagles found an interesting taker, as Huff will reunite with Saleh in San Francisco. They managed this trade return despite it being clear, even after Josh Sweat‘s departure, Huff would not receive a second chance. While Fangio cited Huff’s hand injury as a key reason for the struggles, the player confirmed the bad fit upon being dealt. The Eagles are taking on more than $20MM in dead money — $4.94MM in 2026, $16.6MM in ’26 — based on this quick divorce.
One of the teams to show interest in Joe Milton, the Eagles are handing the QB2 reins to Tanner McKee. The 2023 sixth-round pick played well against Giants starters, as the Eagles were sitting most of their lineup in Week 18, by finishing with 268 passing yards and two TD throws. Pickett’s downward trend continues, even as he has a chance to earn the Browns’ starting job. The former No. 20 overall Steelers selection has been traded twice, with the second swap generating a lesser return compared to the Eagles’ package — which included a third-round pick — from 2024.
Re-signings:
Like at running back, the Eagles had kept costs low at linebacker for years. The team moved on from Mychal Kendricks and Nigel Bradham by the late 2010s, finding UDFAs (Alex Singleton, T.J. Edwards) as fill-ins. Singleton and Edwards collected their money elsewhere (Broncos, Bears), while the Eagles cycled through more low-cost options. The team did not re-sign Super Bowl LVII starter Kyzir White, either. Although Philly’s 2023 linebacker setup contributed to the team’s late-season unraveling, no major investments came at the position in 2024. In fact, Baun received less money ($3.5MM) than Devin White ($4MM). Baun’s showing changed the team’s calculus.
The first Eagle linebacker to be named first-team All-Pro since Jeremiah Trotter in 2000, Baun dominated in his first extended look on defense. Formerly used as a backup Saints edge rusher, Baun researched special teams contracts as free agency comps. Fangio had initially looked at Baun as an edge piece, but with White not seizing the job alongside Nakobe Dean, the former third-round Saints draftee capitalized.
By season’s end, Baun had posted 151 tackles, 3.5 sacks and five forced fumbles. His diving interception of Patrick Mahomes, giving the Eagles a knockout opportunity before halftime, punctuated one of the best LB seasons in recent memory. The Shaquille Leonard-like (healthy version) stat line raised Baun’s value to the point the Eagles kept him out of free agency with a top-five ILB contract.
The off-ball linebacker market had sustained hits in recent years. Leonard saw injuries move him off his monster Colts contract, while the Jets (C.J. Mosley) and Jaguars (Foye Oluokun) gave their top tacklers pay cuts. It had become more affordable to roster top-tier ILBs, but Baun (28) helped reset the second tier of this market. His $17MM-per-year deal topped all free agent LBs, as Nick Bolton and Jamien Sherwood came in at $15MM AAV. Still, only six players at this position earn more than $14MM per year. This allowed Roseman to capitalize on another depressed market.
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Free agency additions:
- Azeez Ojulari, OLB. One year, $3MM ($3MM guaranteed)
- Josh Uche, OLB. One year, $1.92MM ($1.25MM guaranteed)
- Adoree’ Jackson, CB. One year, $1.76MM ($1MM guaranteed)
- Kylen Granson, TE. One year, $1.75MM ($1MM guaranteed)
- Harrison Bryant, TE. One year, $1.2MM ($780K guaranteed)
- Kendall Lamm, T. One year, $1.51MM ($750K guaranteed)
- Matt Pryor, OL. One year, $1.36MM ($700K guaranteed)
- Charley Hughlett, LS. One year, $1.42MM ($468K guaranteed)
- Avery Williams, KR. One year, $1.23MM ($400K guaranteed)
- AJ Dillon, RB. One year, $1.34MM ($168K guaranteed)
- Terrace Marshall, WR. One year, $1.22MM ($25K guaranteed)
The Giants already saw the Eagles transform Barkley; they now have Ojulari on a buy-low deal ahead of an age-25 season. Ojulari did not have a path back to New York; the Giants telegraphed his exit by trading for Brian Burns and giving him a top-market (at the time) extension. A 3-14 season also led Big Blue to Abdul Carter at No. 3 overall. The Giants passed on a chance to trade Ojulari before last year’s deadline. It is safe to say the team regrets that, as his free agency did not move the needle toward a 2026 compensatory pick.
While Ojulari is injury-prone (22 missed games since 2022), he has also produced when healthy. The 2021 second-round pick tallied eight rookie-year sacks and then 5.5 during a seven-game 2022. In a five-start season that ended after 11 games, Ojulari racked up six sacks — including two-sack nights against the Bengals and Steelers. A toe injury ended Ojulari’s season early.
After spending his four-year Giants run in a 3-4 scheme, a transition to Fangio’s defense figures to be easier than Huff’s. This is worth monitoring, as this market allowed the Eagles a low-risk bet. If a few cards fall right, the Eagles could have six Georgia alums (Ojulari, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Nolan Smith, Kelee Ringo, Nakobe Dean) in their base defense.
Uche may be a more interesting wager, but his track record is spottier. The former Patriots second-round pick never developed into a starter. That said, he posted an 11.5-sack season in 2022. That came on just 374 defensive snaps, producing a pressure rate (18.5%) that represents the top showing among any rusher over the past eight years, per ESPN.
Uche did not build on that season, totaling just three sacks and six QB hits in Bill Belichick‘s finale. That led to tepid free agency interest and a one-year, $3MM Pats accord. New England traded that contract to Kansas City, but Uche registered just two sacks last season. Can the Eagles harness his upside?
Jackson also has a chance to land on his feet. Deemed replaceable by the Giants in 2024, Jackson did not re-sign with the team until after the preseason wrapped. Even then, the Giants’ former No. 1 cornerback made just five starts and saw his work rate drop from 88% in 2023 to a career-low 47% in ’24. Jackson is also set to turn 30 just after Week 1. Then again, the Eagles have not shied away from age at this position — as Slay and Bradberry’s tenures remind.
Entering camp, Jackson appears insurance against Ringo not seizing the starting job alongside Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Jackson’s first-round pedigree and 82-start experience level does offer some protection to the Eagles, but Ringo appears the preferred starter. A 2023 fourth-round pick, Ringo started four games as a rookie and one last year. He has never cleared a 17% defensive usage rate, however.
Dillon has reached a career crossroads. A neck injury kept Aaron Jones‘ former Packers complement off the field last season, and his Eagles contract does not put him on solid ground to make the team. Dillon appears vying for a third-string role behind Barkley and second-year RB Will Shipley following Kenneth Gainwell‘s exit (to Pittsburgh).
A popular Packer who frustrated Jones’ fantasy GMs, Dillon totaled 1,573 rushing yards and 12 TDs from 2022-23. He averaged more than four years per carry each year, but in 2023, that number dipped to 3.4. Dillon does land in a favorable RB spot, making this a subplot to follow in Philly.
Notable losses:
- Mekhi Becton, G
- James Bradberry, CB (post-June 1 cut)
- Oren Burks, ILB
- Parris Campbell, WR
- Le’Raven Clark, OL
- Britain Covey, WR (nontendered)
- Tyrion Davis-Price, RB (waived)
- Kenneth Gainwell, RB
- Nick Gates, OL (released)
- Brandon Graham, OLB (retired)
- Fred Johnson, T
- Rick Lovato, LS
- Avonte Maddox, CB
- Isaiah Rodgers, CB
- Darius Slay, CB (post-June 1 cut)
- Josh Sweat, OLB
- C.J. Uzomah, TE
- Milton Williams, DT
PFR’s Nos. 2- and 3-ranked free agents came off the Eagles’ defense, respectively defecting to the Cardinals (Sweat) and Patriots (Williams). Neither profiled as a player the Eagles could afford to keep. At D-tackle, the Eagles have their Georgia-developed tandem (Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis) on track for eventual extensions. That left Williams, a part-timer who surged in a contract year, free to test the market. Sweat had gone from an offseason pay cut to an impact Super Bowl, where he played the lead role in exposing the Chiefs’ Joe Thuney-at-tackle plan — one that had mostly worked out prior to that point.
Williams, 26, is two years younger than Sweat but carries more risk as a player the Eagles never turned to as a lead option inside. That did not stop his market from exploding. No 2025 free agent saw more guaranteed (at signing) money than Williams’ $51MM. This came after successful but unremarkable 2024 stats: five sacks, 10 QB hits. Williams, though, combined for three sacks between the NFC championship game and Super Bowl LIX and drew the highest pass-rush grade (among interior options) from PFF.
Williams remains quite possibly the most random name to top a guarantee list in a free agency class, and the Eagles will hope 2023 seventh-round pick Moro Ojomo (388 snaps last season; zero career sacks) can pick up the slack alongside Carter and Davis.
The Ojomo question looms inside, and the Eagles are likely to ask another unproven player — 2024 third-rounder Jalyx Hunt (241 rookie-year snaps, 1.5 sacks) — to fill in for a high-priced free agent. (They came up as a Myles Garrett suitor, but the Browns quickly ended that plot.) The team chose Sweat to retain over Haason Reddick last year and saw the former fourth-round pick lead the Eagles with eight sacks — before a 2.5-sack Super Bowl.
Sweat, 28, reunited with Jonathan Gannon in Arizona. He fetched similar terms to former Mahomes Super Bowl harasser Shaq Barrett, which is interesting given their similar ages (during their respective free agencies) and the cap surging from $182.5MM to $279.2MM in that span. The Cards may have received a bargain with Sweat (four years, $76.4MM), whose defection leaves a hole in the Eagles’ lineup.
Becton joined the pass rushers in leaving, even though the reformed first-round Jets bust expressed interest in staying. The Eagles having four high-priced linemen, thanks to Jurgens’ late-April extension, made it unrealistic they could retain Becton. The converted tackle parlayed his RG role on a dominant O-line into a two-year, $20MM Chargers deal. It seemed the NFL was still skeptical about Becton, who collected just $6.94MM guaranteed given his rocky Jets stay, but the Eagles season upped his value.
After Becton’s one-year, $2.75MM deal is off the payroll, Tyler Steen — the third-rounder Becton beat out last year — is on track to give it another go as a would-be starter. Pryor resides as insurance, with Green an intriguing candidate to follow Becton’s bust-to-starter trek as well.
Purveyors of the option bonus as a cap-saving technique, the Eagles passed on both Slay and Bradberry’s this year. Their cap-skirting tactics produced notable penalties for moving on from the 30-something cornerbacks, though. The Eagles received a $22.7MM dead cap hit on Slay ($9.4MM in 2025, $13.3MM in ’26) and a $10.5MM ($2.8MM in 2025, $7.7MM in ’26) penalty on Bradberry.
Dead money has not deterred the Eagles in recent years, as they are past $76MM for 2025 by mid-July. Kelce and Sweat each account for $16.4MM on this year’s payroll, due to void years, while Fletcher Cox‘s contract still comprises $10.1MM of Philly’s 2025 cap sheet.
The Slay trade paid off for the Eagles, who signed the ex-Lion to two contracts during his five-season stay. Even as the former trade pickup turned 34 in January, Slay was a solid starter for the Eagles. He remained as such last season, helping the team build Mitchell and DeJean’s onramps. Slay earned three straight Pro Bowl nods as an Eagle and started in two Super Bowls, building a potential Hall of Fame case. He is now in Pittsburgh.
Bradberry’s second contract (three years, $38MM) did not work out. After a quality 2022 debut, Bradberry struggled in ’23 and saw his potential safety switch not take off due to a partial Achilles tear that kept him off the field throughout last season. He remains a free agent.
Philly was interested in re-signing Rodgers, but Brian Flores prioritized him in Minnesota. The Eagles rostered Rodgers for two years, stashing him during his 2023 gambling suspension and deploying him as a No. 4 corner last year. Rodgers had a route to the starting lineup this year, but the Vikings’ two-year, $11MM offer won out.
Graham’s retirement comes a year after Kelce and Cox walked away. While not on the same plane (accomplishment-wise) as either, Graham made the biggest defensive play in Eagles history — the sack-strip on Tom Brady late in Super Bowl LII — and played in three Super Bowls. Returning for a 15th season also separated Graham in Eagles annals, making him the only player to reach a 15th campaign — passing Chuck Bednarik — in the franchise’s 91-season history.
Huff’s struggles assimilating made the Eagles turn to Graham a bit more than expected. Playing behind Sweat and Smith, Graham posted 3.5 sacks — to bring his career total to 76.5 — before his Week 12 triceps tear. The Eagles displayed enough confidence in the 36-year-old D-end that they saved an IR activation for him. Graham made his return for Super Bowl LIX, leading to the Huff scratch, and re-tore the triceps.
The 2010 first-round pick helped the 2022 Eagles threaten the 1984 Bears’ sack record, by tallying a career-high 11, and signed six Philadelphia contracts. Although the Michigan alum left the door ajar to a potential comeback, he is most likely retired. Even though Graham’s final contract was a one-year deal, cap maneuvering will result in his exit leaving the Eagles with $9MM in dead money over the next two years.
Draft:
- Round 1, No. 31 (from Chiefs): Jihaad Campbell (LB, Alabama) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 64: Andrew Mukuba (S, Texas)
- Round 4, No. 111 (from Panthers through Broncos): Ty Robinson (DT, Nebraska) (signed)
- Round 5, Nos. 145 (from Jets): Mac McWilliams (CB, Central Florida) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 161: (from Texans): Smael Mondon (LB, Georgia) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 168: Drew Kendall (C, Boston College) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 181 (from Patriots through Chargers): Kyle McCord (QB, Syracuse) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 191 (from Cardinals): Myles Hinton (T, Michigan) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 207 (from Chiefs and Jets): Cameron Williams (T, Texas) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 209 (from Chargers)*: Antwaun Powell-Ryland (OLB, Virginia Tech) (signed)
Campbell having dealt with trouble involving both shoulders, undergoing surgery on one in March, scared some teams. The Eagles took a risk to bring in Carter two years ago, ignoring off-field red flags; they will hope Campbell can provide a similar reward. They sent the Chiefs essentially a free fifth-round pick to make sure they landed Campbell at 31.
Many viewed Campbell as a top-10 talent, and he carries a versatile skillset that brought rumors he could have a Micah Parsons-like path to an EDGE role. For this year, though, Campbell appears ticketed for LB duty. That makes sense, as the Eagles’ No. 2 ‘backer — Nakobe Dean — will start the season on the reserve/PUP list thanks to the patellar tendon tear sustained in the wild-card round. Injuries have defined Dean’s tenure, and the Campbell pick points the Georgia alum out of town come 2026.
As Campbell’s contract overlaps with Baun’s raise, the Eagles will bet on a player who has a background as an off-ball player and edge rusher. Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board slotted Campbell 12th, while Dane Brugler’s offering at The Athletic ranked him 14th. The Eagles are banking on landing a steal, and by grabbing him at 31, the team secured a fifth-year option on this contract.
It is worth wondering if the Eagles initially had another player in mind, after they saw a trade up to No. 22 potentially scuttled by an issue communicating the deal to the league. An attempt to trade into the Packers’ No. 23 slot also commenced. With those efforts falling short, Campbell became Philly-bound.
The team’s 2023 collapse does invite scrutiny after it ignored the safety and linebacker positions for the most part that year. Ditching Gardner-Johnson a second time opens the door for Mukuba, who will vie with the team’s previous answer — Sydney Brown — for the gig alongside Blankenship. Former Vikings first-rounder Lewis Cine, a bust through three years, is also in camp.
DeJean also could see some safety time, which would certainly complicate Mukuba’s rookie year. That plan could put Mukuba — a former freshman All-American who transferred from Clemson in 2024 — on more of a developmental track.
Like they did last year, the Eagles were active in trading down later in the draft. The team stockpiled assets by sliding down from Nos. 96, 1o1 and 130. Via trades involving veteran and rookie talent this year, the team already has four additional picks in 2026.
Other:
What a journey for Sirianni, who went from fending off firing rumors — as Bill Belichick lingered — and being ordered to fire both his coordinators in 2024 to collecting a Super Bowl ring a year later. The ex-Colts OC has been a CEO coach since midway through his rookie year, ceding play-calling responsibilities. This has led some to question his impact, as Moore and Fangio ran their respective units. But Sirianni is 4-for-4 in playoff berths, the first coming after the Eagles finished 4-11-1 in Doug Pederson‘s finale, and 2-for-4 in Super Bowl appearances.
Sirianni’s .706 win percentage through four seasons trails only John Madden and George Allen in the Super Bowl era. In terms of coaches hired since free agency’s 1993 debut, Sirianni stands atop the board. The 44-year-old leader does not garner respect on the level of a Sean McVay or Kyle Shanahan among coaches in his age range, but he has now managed to reach Super Bowls with different OCs and DCs. Sirianni has also been the constant for Jalen Hurts, as Philly is now on play-caller No. 4 since the HC gave up the reins.
Sirianni campaigned hard for the Tush Push to stay this offseason. While the play may be on borrowed time, the Eagles getting to use their nearly unstoppable sneak obviously strengthens their chances at making a third Sirianni-era Super Bowl trip.
Moore’s Eagles season reignited his HC stock, which had dipped since his Cowboys ouster and Chargers one-and-done. It is rather interesting the Saints were able to lure Moore out of the friendly confines he helped create on offense in Philly, given the state of the NFC South team. Moore coaxed the best of Barkley and had Hurts operating efficiently. The veteran play-caller was at his best in the Super Bowl, dialing up a Hurts-to-DeVonta Smith KO shot despite the Eagles already being up 27-0 in the third quarter.
Sirianni’s last OC promotion backfired, as Brian Johnson did not prove a good fit holding the call sheet. The Eagles passed over Patullo in 2023 but will try him now. Patullo, 44, has worked under Sirianni for nearly eight years, dating back to their Colts days. Having served as Philly’s pass-game coordinator throughout Hurts’ time at the helm presents a good look for Patullo, who has overseen the best wideout duo (Smith, A.J. Brown) in Eagles history. Questions are warranted, however.
Although Patullo was believed to be involved in the Eagles’ play-calling under Moore, the latter had five years’ experience in that role upon arrival. Patullo has never called plays at any level. Sirianni also did not conduct a true search, pointing to confidence in his longtime aide this time around. The Eagles were not the only team who passed on a thorough OC search this offseason, and attempting to create some continuity for Hurts — who will be on play-caller No. 8 (counting Sirianni’s short stint) since his final Alabama season in 2018) — makes sense
Davis’ skillset and position lead to limited usage, which placed him on the bottom rung of the D-tackle fifth-year option ladder. Davis has never cleared a 45% snap rate in a season but has both proven durable (17-game seasons in 2023 and ’24) and effective at what he does.
The Eagles assuredly have a big Carter payday planned; Davis’ market may be a bit harder to gauge. The mammoth DT does not bring the pass-rushing chops that the highest-paid noses (Dexter Lawrence, Vita Vea) possess. He has three 3.5 career sacks and six TFLs. This could open the door for the Eagles to retain him at a reasonable rate long term; they have an affordable option number already.
Top 10 cap charges for 2025:
- Jalen Hurts, QB: $21.87MM
- Lane Johnson, RT: $18.41MM
- A.J. Brown, WR: $17.52MM
- Jordan Mailata, LT: $15.24MM
- Dallas Goedert, TE: $10.71MM
- DeVonta Smith, WR: $7.52MM
- Saquon Barkley, RB: $6.66MM
- Landon Dickerson, G: $6.55MM
- Jalen Carter, DT: $5.95MM
- Jordan Davis, DT: $5.4MM
Macro questions about the Eagles’ direction no longer exist. Roseman used his 2024 effort to climb toward the upper crust among GMs in NFL history. Transforming the team after the 2023 undoing doubles as one of this era’s defining offseasons, generating confidence the Eagles will be able to replace some of the starters they lost from their latest Super Bowl-winning team.
Prior to their 2023 team faceplanting, their Super Bowl LII title defense — which featured a seemingly loaded 2018 roster — revealed cracks that eventually led to an overhaul. The presences of Stoutland and Fangio as two of the greats in their respective roles provide tremendous fortification for the upcoming title defense, however, and Roseman’s creativity reshaping recent rosters makes this the NFL’s most enviable foundation. In a league featuring the Mahomes-Andy Reid duo, that is quite the roster-building achievement.
As the RB market reached rough waters exiting 2023, Roseman saw an opportunity. The Eagles landed an elite back at a reasonable price, and Roseman received deserved credit for acquiring an ultra-talented RB at a second-tier price. The six-year Giant proceeded to deliver one of the best seasons in the position’s history, going from an injury-prone player who did not have a realistic Hall of Fame case to one that has at least approached the conversation.
This second payday in two years brings a stark contrast to Barkley’s New York exit, as the Giants did not make an offer to retain him. Barkley’s success did not bode well for HBO’s chances of seeing a second Hard Knocks: Offseason effort come to pass, and he managed to score a monster payday at 28 despite missing chunks of four seasons previously.
Johnson, 35, has likely done enough to be enshrined in Canton. He has won two Super Bowls, helped RBs to rushing titles 11 years apart and is the last active member of Philly’s “Core Four.” This contract will be difficult to escape until at least 2027 — due to six void years being included — and then would bring a $25.53MM dead money hit. These consequences have not mattered much for the Eagles, who are ahead of the curve here. Now the NFL’s second-highest-paid RT, Johnson (just four injury-driven absences since 2022) is also aiming to play until his contract expires in 2027.
A $14MM 2025 option bonus affected Goedert’s contract-year trade value — to the point the Eagles considered accepting 2026 draft capital in a swap. This situation differed from the Zach Ertz ending, as no Goedert-level presence lurked as an heir apparent. A steep drop-off would have come had the Eagles not found a way to retain the eight-year tight end.
Despite learning another new system — his fourth defense in four years — the cover man/known agitator nabbed six INTs in 2024. That matched his 2022 Philly total and helped Vic Fangio‘s defense lead the league in yardage and finish second in points allowed. Gardner-Johnson did not carry significant guaranteed money beyond 2024 and is only going into an age-27 season. He will be positioned to boost the Texans’ secondary, while the Eagles — who used this as a cost-cutting space as Barkley, Johnson, Jurgens and Zack Baun received raises — have safety uncertainty again.
The Eagles found an interesting taker, as Huff will reunite with Saleh in San Francisco. They managed this trade return despite it being clear, even after Josh Sweat‘s departure, Huff would not receive a second chance. While Fangio cited Huff’s hand injury as a key reason for the struggles, the player confirmed the bad fit upon being dealt. The Eagles are taking on more than $20MM in dead money — $4.94MM in 2026, $16.6MM in ’26 — based on this quick divorce.
The first Eagle linebacker to be named first-team All-Pro since Jeremiah Trotter in 2000, Baun dominated in his first extended look on defense. Formerly used as a backup Saints edge rusher, Baun researched special teams contracts as free agency comps. Fangio had initially looked at Baun as an edge piece, but with White not seizing the job alongside Nakobe Dean, the former third-round Saints draftee capitalized.
