Eagles general manager Howie RosemanMitchell Liff/Getty Images
Updated salary cap space: $40.7 million
Top pending free agents: DT Fletcher Cox, DE Brandon Graham, CB Bradley Roby, RB DeAndre Swift, WR Olamide Zacchios.
Potential business assets: Edge Hason Reddick, Edge Josh Sweat, first-round pick
Potential business goals: CB Larios Snead, S Budda Baker, first round pick
Greatest areas of need: Cornerback, Safety, Linebacker
Possible signature 1: SCG Gardner Johnson
The Philadelphia Eagles struggled in 2023, seeing a 10-1 record collapse to an 11-6 mark, a wild-card berth and then an early playoff exit.
Most of the Eagles' problems lie on defense, with the back seven being particularly problematic. Philly finished the year ranked 31st in yards allowed, 26th in total yards allowed, and 30th in points allowed.
Bringing back versatile defensive back CJ Gardner-Johnson after he spent the 2023 season in Detroit would be a great way to start the reloading process. Gardner-Johnson was a prominent player during Philadelphia's 2022 Super Bowl run, and is already familiar with the team and staff.
Possible signature 2: CB Stephon Gilmore
The Eagles also need help at cornerback, where James Bradberry has seen a significant decline in 2023. He has allowed opposing passer rating to 114.3 in coverage after allowing just a 51.6 rating the previous year.
Stephon Gilmore may be 33 years old, but he is still very capable of taking corner kicks. He started all 17 games for Dallas in 2023 and allowed an opposing passer rating of 82.7 In coverage.
Gilmore would only command a short-term deal, but he would be a great veteran addition that could allow the Eagles to draft and eventually develop a long-term replacement.
Plucking Gilmore away from the rival Cowboys would be a bonus.
Possible dream sign: LB Patrick Quinn
While the Eagles had a lot of issues in coverage last season, poor tackling was also an issue. Despite having a strong defensive front, Philly ranked just 20th in yards allowed per carry.
It would be wise to add a key defender at the second level, and Baltimore's Patrick Queen is an ideal target for free agency. He had a breakout campaign in 2023 while playing alongside Roquan Smith, finishing with 133 tackles, 3.5 sacks, eight passes defensed and a Pro Bowl nod.
Some of the Queens' 2023 production can be attributed to playing in a great Baltimore defense alongside an elite linebacker like Smith. However, his vocal instincts and outstanding closing speed were on film long before Smith arrived in Baltimore.
Adding Queen would give the Eagles at least one top-tier defenseman at the second level.
There will be changes in Philadelphia this season. The Eagles already have new offensive and defensive coordinators in Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio, respectively. Longtime center Jason Kelce also recently announced his retirement.
At least in defence, there should not be a major planning shift. Fangio's system shares a lot of similarities with that of former coordinator Jonathan Gannon, so improving the defensive roster will be more important than restructuring it.
But the Eagles need to improve their defense, and in a big way. Adding Fangio should help, but there isn't enough talent or depth on the back end for Philly to be considered a legitimate title contender.
Offensively, the Eagles have a solid foundation. They will need to re-sign or replace running back D'Andre Swift and come up with a plan to replace Kelce. Adding a reliable third receiver should also be on your to-do list.
When it comes to spending big in free agency, most of the attention should be on defense. Philadelphia is not full of cap space, but should be active when the market (unofficially) opens on Monday.
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