Eagles' 2023 Free Agents, Targets and Draft Needs After Super Bowl Loss vs. Chiefs
A little more than a year ago, the Philadelphia Eagles may have just been happy to get an invite to the postseason dance. Yes, they suffered a blowout loss in the Wild Card Round, but they had found their new head coach in Nick Sirianni and their quarterback in Jalen Hurts.
What's important is that Philadelphia didn't remain content being a postseason also-ran. The Eagles made moves during the offseason, and big ones. They traded for star wideout A.J. Brown, dealt for defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson, signed pass-rusher Haason Reddick and added veteran corner James Bradberry.
General manager Howie Roseman's moves yielded arguably the NFL's most complete roster, one that eventually claimed the NFC's No. 1 seed and a first-round bye. However, Hurts' late-season shoulder injury proved to be a massive blow.
After starting the season 13-1, the Eagles were unable to clinch the top seed until Week 18. While Hurts returned from a two-game absence to play in the finale, he wasn't at 100 percent. Hurts appeared much healthier in the postseason, but the Eagles' run finally ended in Super Bowl LVII.
Credit the Eagles for making to the biggest stage, but now it's time to look ahead to 2023. Can the Eagles make another Super Bowl run with a healthy Hurts? It seems entirely possible, but there's a lot of work ahead of Roseman and Co. in the coming weeks.
Let's dive into Philadelphia's impending free agents, potential free-agent targets and draft needs heading into the March 15 start of free agency.
Free Agents
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Unrestricted Free Agents
CB James Bradberry
DT Fletcher Cox
OT Andre Dillard
LB T.J. Edwards
S Marcus Epps
DE Brandon Graham
DT Javon Hargrave
S C.J. Gardner-Johnson
DT Linval Joseph
C Jason Kelce
LS Rick Lovato
QB Gardner Minshew
WR Zach Pascal
DE Robert Quinn
RB Miles Sanders
RB Boston Scott
G Isaac Seumalo
DT Ndamukong Suh
LB Kyzir White
Restricted/Exclusive-Rights Free Agents
TE Tyree Jackson
Here's the biggest obstacle facing the Eagles this offseason: They have a ton of key contributors scheduled to hit the open market in a matter of weeks. The amount of talent Philadelphia could release to the open market cannot be oversold.
Starting running back Miles Sanders and center Jason Kelce were both Pro Bowlers in 2022. Gardner-Johnson and Bradberry have both been quality starters, while Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave formed one of the NFL's best defensive-line trios this season.
While Graham wasn't a Pro Bowler, he had a Pro Bowl-caliber campaign, finishing with 11 sacks, 21 quarterback pressures, 35 tackles and two forced fumbles.
Nose tackle Linval Joseph and guard Isaac Seumalo were both starters, along with linebacker Kyzir White, linebacker T.J. Edwards and safety Marcus Epps. In terms of tackles, Philadelphia could lose seven of its top 10 defensive producers in free agency.
Boston Scott has been a quality change-of-pace back for the Eagles, while quarterback Gardner Minshew is one of the top backups in the league.
There's simply no way the Eagles can afford to bring everyone back at a fair market value. Philadelphia is projected to have just $7.8 million in cap space available, and it will take some financial wizardry from Roseman just to retain a handful of his best players.
Aging players like Cox and Kelce could be on their way out anyway, of course, and the Eagles drafted Jordan Davis and Cameron Jurgens last April, in part, to prepare for this.
Philadelphia is short on obvious cap casualties, so expect Roseman to spend the next few weeks figuring out whose contracts he can restructure and how he can re-sign players to back-loaded deals.
Potential Free-Agent/Trade Targets
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Given Philadelphia's own glut of impending free agents and its cap situation, it probably won't do a lot of big-name chasing on the external market.
While the thought of bringing in a high-profile defender such as Daron Payne or Jamel Dean may excite fans, it's probably not going to happen.
What we could see, though, is the Eagles targeting a few aging stars who are willing to take a lesser deal to sign with a title contender. Players such as Patrick Peterson, Lavonte David, Deion Jones, Jadeveon Clowney and Melvin Ingram could be valuable budget additions if they're looking to ring-chase in 2023.
Otherwise, Philadelphia is likely to target budget players such as cornerback Troy Hill and edge-rusher Arden Key when looking to retool its defense.
Trades could also come into play if they financially favor the team. Baltimore safety Chuck Clark, for example, could be viewed as expendable after the Ravens used a 2022 first-rounder on Kyle Hamilton.
Clark, 27, started all 17 games for Baltimore and logged 101 tackles and a forced fumble in 2022. In a trade, he'd carry a 2023 cap hit of just $3.6 million after Baltimore's dead-money payout.
Offensively, Philadelphia's biggest need may be at running back, assuming the Eagles don't re-sign Sanders as their starter. Fans shouldn't expect Philly to bring in a star like Saquon Barkley or Josh Jacobs, but a cheaper veteran such as D'Onta Foreman or Jamaal Williams could be realistic.
Most likely, though, the Eagles will look to re-sign their own, maybe attack the second and third waves of free agency and put most of their attention on April's draft.
Draft Targets
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Here's where things get really interesting for the Eagles. Thanks to last year's trade with the New Orleans Saints, they have a pair of first-round selections. The pick acquired from New Orleans currently sits at 10th overall.
This means that elite draft prospects like Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr., Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee and Georgia edge-rusher Nolan Smith could be in play for the team with the NFC's best regular-season record.
One intriguing name is Bijan Robinson, the fourth-ranked prospect on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's latest draft board. Pairing the Texas running back with Hurts, Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert would give Philly one of the league's most dangerous and balanced offensive attacks.
"Robinson checks just about every box for an elite running back prospect," Derrik Klassen of the B/R Scouting Department wrote. "He should step in right away and be able to carry the workload for a rushing offense, as well as contribute in the passing game. Robinson has the potential to be a multi-time Pro Bowler and one of the better backs in the NFL."
At the bottom of Round 1, prospects like South Carolina cornerback Cam Smith, Florida State pass-rusher Jared Verse, Army pass-rusher Andre Carter II and Baylor defensive lineman Siaki Ika could each make sense.
Offensive line depth is always worth something, and so a prospect like Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright wouldn't be a total surprise, either.
Roseman has traditionally taken advantage of value when he can find it—which is why players like Gardner-Johnson and Bradberry were added this offseason—so the Eagles may simply take a best-player-available approach at the end of Day 1.
That strategy could continue on Days 2 and 3, though prospects like Alabama safety Jordan Battle, Auburn running back Tank Bigsby, LSU linebacker Mike Jones Jr., Clemson edge-rusher Xavier Thomas, Iowa linebacker Riley Moss, Kansas State running back Deuce Vaughn and Texas A&M safety Demani Richardson should be firmly on Philly's radar.
*Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference. Cap, contract and market information via Spotrac. Draft information via Tankathon.
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