After a disastrous end to last season, the Philadelphia Eagles made several major moves this offseason. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has overhauled Philadelphia’s roster at several spots heading into the upcoming season.
Yet, as the start of training camp approaches in nearly one month, several question marks remain on the team’s roster. Roseman has never opted to sit on his hands during the lull of the offseason, and he could certainly make another move.
Remaining Free Agent Targets for the Philadelphia Eagles
Despite all of the additions that Roseman has made to Philadelphia’s secondary this offseason, there is still uncertainty at safety. Luckily for the Eagles, there are still several intriguing veteran safeties available in free agency.
Aside from safety, the Eagles are heading into the upcoming season with two young starters along the offensive line. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Roseman add more help in the trenches as well. Here are five potential free agent targets for the Eagles ahead of training camp!
Justin Simmons, S
It’s not often that a four-time All-Pro is still available in late June, but here we are. Justin Simmons played for Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio for several years with the Denver Broncos. While Simmons has complimented his former coach, some have reported that he wasn’t the biggest fan of Fangio in Denver.
Regardless of their relationship, Simmons would make a ton of sense from a football standpoint. Given that C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Reed Blankenship, and Sydney Brown all dealt with injuries last season, Simmons would leap to the top of Philadelphia’s depth chart and greatly improve the safety room as a whole.
Connor Williams, OL
Following the retirement of legendary center Jason Kelce, the Eagles will be forced to shuffle the offensive line in 2024. Cam Jurgens will slide over from right guard to his natural position at center, while Tyler Steen will likely start at right guard despite barely playing during his rookie season.
MORE: 5 Breakout Candidates on the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles
If the Eagles are concerned at all about Jurgens or Steen, signing Connor Williams would make a ton of sense. Williams spent several years with Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore during their time together with the Dallas Cowboys. Although Williams is recovering from a torn ACL, he would provide competition along the interior of Philadelphia’s offensive line.
Bryan Mone, DL
One of the underrated needs for the Eagles right now is depth behind Jordan Davis. As Davis prepares to likely play the highest snap total of his career in 2024, Philadelphia doesn’t have any legitimate options at nose tackle behind him.
Hopefully Bryan Mone can factor into the rotation in 2023. That makes things a lot easier on both Young and Reed lessening the burden on the rookie and letting Reed play 'end' as much as possible pic.twitter.com/k1duZ2hvVR
— over zone y (@cmikesspinmove) May 24, 2023
Bryan Mone spent several years with Eagles defensive line coach Clint Hurtt during their time together with the Seattle Seahawks. Similar to Williams, Mone is recovering from a major injury but would make a ton of sense as the backup nose tackle behind Davis.
Justin Houston, EDGE
Now that Zack Baun is making the transition to inside linebacker, Philadelphia’s depth at edge rusher is uncertain. While Bryce Huff and Josh Sweat will likely start on the outside, Brandon Graham is the only proven player behind them.
Nolan Smith showed flashes down the stretch last season, and Jalyx Hunt is certainly intriguing. Still, the Eagles are lacking a proven presence behind their top three edge rushers, and Justin Houston could fill that void. He spent some time under Fangio with the Dolphins last season and recorded 9.5 sacks for the Baltimore Ravens in 2022.
Eddie Jackson, S
If Simmons is looking for a significant payday, another veteran safety who has experience working with Fangio is available. Eddie Jackson enjoyed plenty of success during Fangio’s time with the Chicago Bears, and now he’s looking for another opportunity in the NFL.
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Although he isn’t the same caliber of player that Simmons is, Jackson would provide the Eagles with much-needed depth at safety. Given the injury concerns and inexperience in Philadelphia’s current secondary, Jackson makes plenty of sense as a potential target.