3 Contracts Eagles Must Prioritize in 2024 Offseason
Coming off a disastrous late-season collapse, the Philadelphia Eagles have a lot of hard questions to answer this offseason.
After starting off 10-1, the Eagles limped to the end of the season by losing six of their last seven games, including a 32-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wildcard round.
It was a frustrating end to the season that is sure to bring some changes in the city of Brotherly Love. Jason Kelce retirement rumors are already flying and the team has already let defensive coordinator Sean Desai go. The 2022 NFC Championship is fading in the rearview mirror quickly.
There are still a lot of pieces in place, though. Jalen Hurts isn't going anywhere and the trio of A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert are all under contract.
Howie Roseman has some work to do to keep this team in contention and that starts with evaluating which in-house free agents they need to prioritize. It's not an overly impactful batch of players, but there are a few worth bringing back.
Brandon Graham
1 of 3
When a 14-year vet who has played every season with your team is still a functional player and wants one last year, it's not a good idea to deny him that opportunity.
That's the situation the Eagles face going into this offseason. While Jason Kelce might be serious considering retirement, Brandon Graham was vocal about wanting one last campaign before calling it a career.
The 35-year-old told media after the loss to the Buccaneers that he's interested in a farewell tour with the team he has spent his entire career with.
"I want to," he said when asked about playing another year. "It'll be my farewell tour next year. If the Eagles want me to do it one more time, I would love to be here for another year. Because I know we got something special. Fifteen, my farewell tour. I'll be done next year."
Graham is set to become a free agent but he already is on the payroll as a void year. The Eagles will take a $7.9 million cap charge if he doesn't play or they let him go somewhere else.
The veteran saw his role reduced in 2023. He went from playing 43 percent of the snaps in 2022 to 34 percent in 2023, but the Eagles are already set with Josh Sweat and Haason Reddick as their primary pass-rushers. It's not going to hurt to continue to have Graham play a rotational role.
His leadership and the ability for the Eagles to show they take care of their own are worth keeping him around.
OG Sua Opeta
2 of 3
One major advantage that the Eagles have over the rest of the league is that they have one of the best offensive line coaches in the game. Jeff Stoutland always does an excellent job of developing his players and they typically have some great depth as a result.
Sua Opeta was a great example this season. When Cam Jurgens went down with an injury Opeta stepped right into the lineup and started six games this season. He was serviceable there, which is a valuable trait in a league where offensive line play can be downright bad from some backups.
Opeta earned a 53.4 grade from PFF with three sacks allowed on 528 snaps. They aren't great numbers, but Jurgens had a 61.4 grade in the games that he played.
Interior depth could be even more important for the Eagles next season. If Jason Kelce really does retire it will probably force Jurgens to kick inside at center. That would leave Tyler Steen and Opeta to compete for the job.
Steen would likely be the favorite based on his draft capital, but having an experienced player who is familiar with the Eagles offense is valuable compared to some of the other free agents in this class.
TE Jack Stoll
3 of 3
Jack Stoll is the kind of player that rarely gets props for his contributions but is still key to what the Eagles do on offense.
The tight end was consistently the second tight end on the offense and mostly contributed as a blocker. His impact can be seen in how effective 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends) was for Philadelphia. They were 15th in the league in usage of the personnel package, but eighth in EPA per play, per 33rd Team.
Stoll only had five catches on the season and was targeted just eight times. But he's earned his teammates respect for the way that he blocks.
"He gets a lot of the dirty work at the tight end position," Dallas Goedert told reporters in September, "but he embraces it and the last two weeks, he's a big part of the reason we've been able to run the ball so well."
If the Eagles are going to get things back on the right track, it's going to involve re-establishing themselves as a physical football team that can run the ball. Building a passing attack off of that identity is how they've been successful with Hurts at quarterback.
Bringing back Stoll would be a step in that direction and making sure the offense continues it's identity as a great running team.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
