Not bad Howie, not bad at all.
The Eagles have made six signings during the free agency period so far, and they all seem to be solid transactions. Roseman also seems to have his new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz whispering in his ear when crafting the defense for the team next season, as there are now three former Bills defenders joining the roster. Here is a list of the new Eagles for next season:
Brandon Brooks, OG
Rodney McLeod, SS
Chase Daniel, QB
Ron Brooks, CB
Nigel Bradham, LB
Leodis McKelvin, CB
There aren’t any huge splash signings in this group, but there don’t seem to be any dud candidates either. Roseman seems to have made sure that the Eagles would not enter the draft with any handicap positions, which will allow them to draft the best player at any position; always a smart move. However, these guys do not have to be the only guys the Eagles look into for free agency.
Even though the free agency pool has thinned out significantly since Wednesday, there are still impact players available, even if they do have some risk associated with them. Here are 10 guys the Eagles can look into that may still have significant value to the team while only presenting limited risk. Signing any 3-4 of these guys could mean being an automatic divisional contender (Money will always be a factor though).
- Jahri Evans, OG
Evans is no longer worth being one of the highest paid guards in the NFL, but he is still a good starter. The Eagles would ensure that they do not NEED to address the offensive line by picking up a talent like Evans. Howie has already invested a good deal of this year’s cap space, but grabbing another offensive lineman could ensure the offensive line will have depth and experience until it can be properly addressed through the draft. It would also reassure Eagles fans that neither Matt Tobin or Allen Barbre will grace the field on a full-time basis, and THAT could be the only reason you need to give Evans a contract. - Zach Brown, ILB
Brown is an old-school inside linebacker; really good in pursuit against the run, and very VERY average against the pass. In other words, he is exactly the type of linebacker that the Eagles already have. Brown isn’t the guy you want on the field on 3rd-and-long, but in obvious run chase situations, he is an above average talent to have at your disposal. Given the lack of depth and talent at outside linebacker, signing brown could allow Mychal Kendricks to move outside and provide a solid option. - Kelvin Beachum, OT
Beachum still has what it takes to succeed as a quality player on the line. Coming off an ACL injury is tough to return from, but having him as insurance at offensive tackle could allow him to focus on rehabbing and returning strong. His contract value would also be pretty tamed because of his injury. The depth he provides could mean that Jason Peters could take a break during games from time to time. Is another reason to sign him even necessary beyond that? - Jerraud Powers, CB
Roseman clearly felt like he needed to address the corner spot by signing two of Schwartz’ former guys from Buffalo. Still, the starting positions on either side of the Eagles defense are still very open. Eric Rowe seems to have the inside track to win one of them, but competition needs to be high at this position. Powers played significant snaps in a significant role for the Cardinals defense over the last few years, and was rarely shown to be incapable as a cover guy. He may come more expensive than Ron Brooks, but his services could be exactly what a team without established starters need. His size doesn’t match his scrappy play, but his upside is higher than most. - Arian Foster, RB
This is going to be a surprise to some Eagles fans, but if Roseman is unable or unwilling to draft Ezekiel Elliott in the draft, Arian Foster could be the answer. His potential as a “boom or bust” candidate is very high because of the lack of snaps he has played in the last few years. On the other hand, his injuries have to be taken into account because he would never sign somewhere that won’t pay him like a starter. Running backs are being devalued more and more every year, so Foster’s potential could outweigh the salary he would receive. Now that Demarco Murray’s contract is off the books, the space to sign a guy could be there. Foster isn’t a long-term answer to the running back situation, but his abilities could make him a starter on any team. The question is whether his body can do the same. - Nick Fairley, DT
Fairley may not have the “boom or bust” potential that Foster has, but his football career can definitely be defined as such. After posting 13.5 sacks in a very inconsistent rookie contract with the Lions, Fairley fell off the radar with the Rams as a backup. He has the potential to be a beast next to Fletcher Cox, and his abilities should provide excellent depth even if he can’t beat Bennie Logan for a starting job. The money is going to be the issue here though. Fairley could sign a short term deal and re-up since he is so young, but he may want security, and there isn’t very much of that for inconsistent play. He also has experience playing in a ‘Wide-9’ defense, and the Eagles could use some experience for that alignment. - Anquan Boldin, WR
Boldin has been on the downside of his career for years now, and still seems to be productive without the speed or footwork necessary to do so. His addition to any locker room would instantly upgrade the toughness and professionalism of the team significantly and any team willing to sign Boldin knows exactly what they will be getting. However, no one knows when the decline his production will match the decline of his body. He is almost completely “mind-over-matter” at this point as he beats DB’s with his brain and his hands alone. He may need to skip a break throughout the week to keep his body fresh for game day, but Boldin would give the Eagles a legitimate option in the slot besides Jordan Matthews. Boldin wants to win now, which doesn’t match the Eagles situation at this point, but giving him an offer couldn’t hurt. He is worth it. - Mike Wallace, WR
At this point in his career, Wallace isn’t much more than a deep threat, but that has a good bit of value in that. The Eagles lacked a deep threat so much last year that teams rarely got deeper than 20-30 yards at the top of their drops against Sam Bradford and company. The young receivers on the Eagles are going to need more space to work with than that, and Wallace could be the best option to provide that. He has been overpaid the last few years and will have to take a pay decrease from those seasons, but his skill set fits what the Eagles need to a tee. A short deal will suffice until a younger option is found, but Roseman could opt to draft a guy instead. If he doesn’t, Wallace is a nice consolation prize. - Stephen Tulloch, LB
Tulloch struggles in coverage from time to time against smaller guys, but his leadership and ability to get everyone lined up is too valuable to stay on the market for too long. He is definitely declining, and he fits best in a scheme that limits the amount of man matchups as well. Think about him as “Demeco Ryans 2.0.” The linebacker depth is too bad NOT to consider him as an option.
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