Eagles' Top Players to Avoid in 2023 NFL Free Agency

The Philadelphia Eagles fell one win shy of ending the 2022 NFL season with a second-ever Super Bowl title. Instead, they fell 38-35 to the Kansas City Chiefs at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Sunday.

Now, it's time for them to turn the page and prepare for the offseason. The good thing for the team is that it has an impressive core that should keep it in a position to contend for championships moving forward.

But Philadelphia could find some ways to upgrade its roster. It will try to do so with its $8.34 million in available cap space, per Over The Cap, although it could find ways to clear more room by cutting some salary before free agency begins.

However, the Eagles are unlikely to be huge spenders, so they'll need to be diligent with their offseason moves.

With that in mind, here are some free agents Philadelphia may want to avoid.

Jadeveon Clowney, DE

AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.

Cleveland Browns defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (90) runs during an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders, Sunday, January 01, 2023 in Landover. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)

Jadeveon Clowney is the type of defensive free agent the Eagles may pursue this offseason.

They are unlikely to spend too big, so they could seek low-risk, high-reward players to fill any potential holes on their roster. And that's why the Cleveland Browns player could be a target.

However, it would probably be best for Philadelphia to go in a different direction to upgrade its pass rush (assuming Brandon Graham is not back). Clowney has been too inconsistent throughout his NFL career, and he's often underperformed.

For example, the South Carolina product had no sacks in eight games with the Tennessee Titans in 2020. Although he had nine sacks in 14 games for the Browns in 2021, he notched only two sacks in 12 contests in 2022.

With Clowney set to turn 30 on Tuesday, his best days could be behind him. So, it just doesn't seem like he would fit too well on an Eagles pass rush that had a lot of success this past season.

Miles Sanders, RB

AP Photo/Matt Rourke

Philadelphia Eagles' Miles Sanders in action during the NFC Championship NFL football game on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

If the Eagles are going to retain running back Miles Sanders, they'll likely need to give him a sizable contract.

The 25-year-old enjoyed a career season in 2022, rushing for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns in 17 games for a dominant Philadelphia ground game.

Like Sanders, Boston Scott is set to become a free agent this offseason, so there's the potential for some substantial change in the Eagles' backfield in 2023. And they may not be able to afford to keep that unit intact, unless they prioritize it over other positions on the roster.

The best move Philadelphia could make is to let Sanders walk and then find his replacement in the 2023 NFL draft. The 25-year-old doesn't have a long track record, and the Eagles may be able to find an even more dominant back to feature in their offense.

Plus, Philadelphia has the No. 10 pick in the draft, so it could get a talented RB to take over for Sanders. If the Eagles move on from him and then acquire former Texas running back Bijan Robinson, their rushing attack may reach yet another level.

Mike Gesicki, TE

AP Photo/Adrian Kraus

Miami Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki (88) looks up during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

Philadelphia has had success utilizing two strong tight ends in its offense before, such as when it had both Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert. The latter remains on the team, and he had success as the clear top TE on the depth chart in 2022.

However, the Eagles could benefit from adding one more talented pass-catcher for quarterback Jalen Hurts to throw to next season. Maybe it'd work out best for them to bring in another tight end to reintroduce that dynamic to the offense.

One thing Philadelphia shouldn't do, though, is sign Mike Gesicki. He may end up out of the Eagles' price range, and it may not be worth them ignoring other positions to make it work financially. The 27-year-old had only 362 receiving yards in 17 games this past season.

It doesn't seem like there would be a great fit between Gesicki and Philadelphia. So, if the Eagles want to acquire an additional playmaker for their receiving corps, they should take a different route.