The Philadelphia Eagles have a handful of impending restricted free agents, and fourth-year guard Nate Herbig is the most intriguing of the bunch. With starter upside, Herbig could be a rare attraction on the restricted free agent market.
Brandon Brooks’ retirement impacts Nate Herbig
The Eagles will need to figure out their right guard spot in the wake of Brandon Brooks’ retirement.
Brooks retired early enough in the offseason that the Eagles should have a general idea of how to fill his void. While signing a veteran in free agency seems unlikely, the Eagles still need to weigh a major free agent decision relating to the line this month.
Herbig, who is just 24, has been a solid spot-starter for the Eagles over the past three years and is set to become a restricted free agent. Herbig has appeared in 33 games and made 17 starts at guard during his three years in the league.
While veteran guards such as Brandon Scherff of the Washington Commanders and Laken Tomlinson of the San Francisco 49ers are set to cash in as the headliners on the market, Herbig, even with a restricted tender, could be a cheap and appealing option in the second wave of free agency.
The Eagles, who have a much better cap situation than last year, have to figure out if Herbig, an ascending player, is worth tendering. Herbig signed with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2019, and so he would be eligible for the “right of first refusal” tender, which is projected to be valued at $2.43 million, according to Spotrac. That’s a nice chunk of a change for a non-starter, but it leaves the Eagles vulnerable if another team views Herbig as a long-term cog on their line.
The impending competition at right guard
The Eagles are likely to stage a training camp competition at right guard during training camp.
Former starting left guard Isaac Seumalo is a man without a home after second-round pick Landon Dickerson put together an impressive rookie season on the left side next to Jordan Mailata. Seumalo, Herbig, and former fourth-round pick Jack Driscoll are expected to battle for the right guard spot this summer. There still stands a chance that the Eagles draft an interior lineman, perhaps as early as the first round.
GM Howie Roseman noted during the NFL Combine that the Eagles want to continue to get offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, who is considered among the best assistant coaches in the league, top-level talent. The Eagles’ long-standing philosophy has been to build from the trenches first, dating back to the Andy Reid era.
Risks of ‘right of first refusal’
If the Eagles decide to give Herbig the low “right of first refusal” tender, they might eventually be forced to make a quick decision on his standing in the lineup. A team or multiple teams could offer him a large long-term deal in hopes that the Eagles view him as a backup and pass on matching it. Philadelphia wouldn’t acquire any compensation for losing him.
If the Eagles want to keep Herbig without issue, they could assign him the second-round tender, valued at $3.98 million, according to Spotrac. Though, that would be a lot of money to hand out for a player seen as a would-be starter in a camp competition.