It’s hard to believe the Eagles, just one year removed from a Super Bowl title, need this much help.
At this time last year, the future of the roster on both sides of the ball appeared more robust. With two top wide receivers, a game-changing running back, an elite offensive line, and a talented young defense that had terrorized Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl, the Eagles entered last off-season with few actual needs.
Sure, there were players that needed replacing. Tight end Dallas Goedert’s future was an open question (that hasn’t changed), the defensive line had to make up for the losses of free agents Milton Williams and Josh Sweat, and the secondary was re-made with the departures of Darius Slay and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. But there appeared to be viable replacements in-house, in the draft and free agency.
With free agency set to begin on March 9 and the draft just one month later, the Eagles suddenly have substantial gaps to fill. So, which positions should take precedence? In what order should general manager Howie Roseman pursue upgrades, especially with only $2.6 million in cap space, 20th in the NFL?
Below is my ranking of the areas of need on the roster, in order from most to least needy.
1) Tight End
After eight highly productive seasons in Philadelphia, Dallas Goedert is almost certainly going to play elsewhere in 2026. After catching a career-high 11 touchdowns, his production in the run game suffered a steep drop-off, and despite the increase in TDs, the 30-year-old skill’s are deteriorating. It would be unwise for Roseman to spend big money to retain Goedert on another one-year deal. Back-up Grant Calcaterra is also a free agent, and there almost certainly will be a better option for TE2.
Kyle Pitts, a Philly native, was set to be the most attractive free agent on the market but he’s reportedly been franchise tagged by the Atlanta Falcons. Baltimore’s Isaiah Likely would be a nice addition, while Chigoziem Okonkwo, Cade Otten and Tyler Higbee are palatable options. It’s also highly likely Roseman will select a tight end in the draft, most likely on Day 2.
The Eagles need two tight ends. Having two would seem to be ideal for Sean Mannion’s new offense. Goedert’s abilities as a run-blocker were essential to Saquon Barkley’s 2,000 yard season, so one could envision Roseman targeting a pass catching tight end and a reliable blocker this off-season. Right now, there is simply no one in-house at that extremely underrated position.
2) Wide Receiver
If A.J. Brown is traded, you could make the argument receiver would be the No. 1 position for the Eagles to address. The arguments for and against trading Brown have been well documented, and given the cap hit the Eagles would endure should he be traded, even after June 1, it’s not a slam dunk he leaves Philly. But I would say the odds are greater than not he is moved, so the Eagles should probably enter free agency and the draft with only DeVonta Smith guaranteed to be a part of the roster next year.
It’s difficult to see how they could replace Brown, should he depart. While George Pickens is a bona fide No. 1 receiver, Roseman is unlikely to deal away one headache and acquire another to take his place. Colts wideout Alec Pierce would be an ideal candidate. He averaged a league-best 21.3 yards per catch for Indianapolis a season ago, and is a rising star.
But not only would the Eagles need to find a true running buddy for Smith, they desperately need to improve their WR3 position, too. Jahan Dotson simply didn’t get the job done after his trade to Philly two years ago. New York’s Wan’Dale Robinson is a slot receiver with 90+ catches each of the last two years, and Tyreek Hill, Christian Kirk and Keenan Allen are three veterans who could potentially fill that role, too. One should expect Roseman to invest in wide receiver in the draft, too.
3) Safety
Will Reed Blankenship be back and, if so, can he put together a better ‘26 season than he had last year? Sydney Brown is a free agent as well, although his time as a potential starter in the NFL has passed him by. Marcus Epps is a fine fill-in starter, but nothing more.
Outside of those three names, the safety depth chart is barren. Happily, there are a number of free agent safeties Roseman can pursue, including a top-tier candidate like Bryan Cook, and players of Blankenship’s ilk: Jaquan Brisker, Coby Bryant and Jalen Thompson. Heck maybe even a reunion with Kevin Byard III, who enjoyed a renaissance season in Chicago. A safety will come from the draft, too.
4) Edge Rusher
Jalyx Hunt, though undersized, is emerging as one of the better young edge rushers in the league. It’s hard to say the same for Nolan Smith, who has had brief stretches of dominance but has been unable to string together a full 17-game season of steady productivity. Still, he is a valuable young player and isn’t going anywhere.
The biggest decision of the off-season lies with free agent Jaelan Phillips, who burst onto the scene in his first few games after coming over from Miami, but went without a QB hit in four of his final five games and did not appear on the stat sheet at all in the Eagles’ wild card loss to the 49ers, despite playing a team-high 88% of the defensive snaps.
The problem is he’s widely seen as the top edge rusher available and, at 27, has historically been comfortable in Vic Fangio’s schemes, both in Philly and with the Dolphins. Edge rusher will almost certainly be a priority this off-season, with Brandon Graham’s future unknown and Josh Uche unlikely to return. The Eagles just need more impact at that spot.
5) Offensive Line
Thankfully, it looks like Lane Johnson and Landon Dickerson will return for at least one more season each. That saves Roseman a lot of work, although he must approach this draft with the idea of piling up depth for the impending departure of Johnson, at least.
Any free agent the Eagles sign would likely be of the Fred Johnson variety, a versatile veteran capable of stepping in should Lane or Cam Jurgens or anyone else go down. The real work will come in Rounds 2-5 of the draft. Don’t be surprised to see Roseman trade picks to acquire more picks and add a lot of names to the offensive line room. After all, we can’t rely on Jeff Stoutland to take whoever they get and turn them into a future Hall of Famer anymore.
6) Quarterback
Jalen Hurts’ future has a few more question marks now than it did a year ago, but for at least the next two years, he’s not going anywhere. But with Tanner McKee entering the final year of his rookie deal as Hurts’ back-up, the Eagles should draft someone they believe would be ideal for Mannion’s new offense, whatever that ends up looking like.
How early they select a QB will be one of the draft’s most interesting subplots. If they take a QB in the second round, like they did with Hurts when Carson Wentz was the franchise QB, that could signal a larger dissatisfaction with Hurts than one would expect. If they do it in Rounds 3 or 4, they could justify that position by continuing to refer back to the “QB Factory” school of thought, that they’re simply drafting Hurts’ back-up for a cheap price. Taking a QB in Rounds 5-7 is more of a dart throw and would only signal they’re picking someone to take a flier on them. He wouldn’t be a real option to start in 2027 or ‘28, should Hurts’ tenure in Philadelphia fall off a cliff.
Nevertheless, the Eagles will be taking a QB in this draft. When they select that QB, will be fascinating to watch.