The Philadelphia Eagles have quite the offseason approaching after a rough finish to the 2023 season, which left the franchise well short of its ultimate goals. Turnover has already ensued on the coaching staff, and more could be in store player-wise with the start of NFL free agency fast approaching.
Let’s dive into three free agency predictions for the Eagles ahead of an integral period for the franchise.
Eagles Free Agency Predictions
Philadelphia heads into free agency with a decent amount of cap space to work with, roughly $32.4 million, according to Spotrac. The Eagles need to fill plenty of key holes on the team with that money and its draft picks; however, this will likely make for some difficult decisions in free agency.
Sign L’Jarius Sneed To Fill Crucial Need
One of Philadelphia’s biggest needs this offseason lies at cornerback, a spot it has struggled with in recent years and had plenty of issues at in 2023. James Bradberry was perhaps the most surprising of those struggling players after allowing 10 touchdowns, the most of any cornerback in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Eagles took Kelee Ringo in the 2023 draft and could again look to the draft for cornerback help this year, but signing a proven free agent like L’Jarius Sneed would certainly go a long way to shoring up the position. He had 78 tackles (60 solo), 14 pass breakups, and two interceptions last year and is ranked as PFN’s second-best available cornerback, with many rumors connecting him to the Eagles.
Sneed could certainly come with a sizable price tag, but it might be a cost Philadelphia is willing to pay to improve one of its most glaring weaknesses.
Sign Willie Gay To Solidify Thin Linebacker Corps
Another key need on the defense lies at linebacker, where a core group of players who largely struggled in 2023 will likely face significant turnover, with four headed to free agency. Nakobe Dean is the lone key returner, and even he had his ups and downs last season.
Bringing in a dependable veteran in Willie Gay could certainly help the Eagles shore up their linebacking corps. He’s not quite a star at the position, but he went for 58 tackles (44 solo), four tackles for loss, four pass breakups, three fumble recoveries, and one interception a season ago, ranking as PFN’s fifth-best available linebacker.
Bringing in Gay or a similar player could go a long way toward Philadelphia filling the hole at the heart of its defense.
Re-Sign D’Andre Swift for Continuity at Running Back
Running back is another position where the Eagles could experience some turnover, with D’Andre Swift set to hit free agency.
Philadelphia acquired him a little over a year ago in a trade with the Detroit Lions, and he produced above his contract value this past season with career-highs of 229 carries and 1,049 yards, including five touchdowns.
A deep running back market could lower Swift’s asking price a bit — he ranks as PFN’s sixth-best available running back — and potentially make him a reasonable candidate to return for the Eagles as a known quantity they could depend on at the spot.
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The franchise could certainly address the position in the draft, but bringing Swift back at the right price seems like a logical move.
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