10 Impending Free Agents Who Would Be Perfect Fits for Philadelphia Eagles
One of the most disappointing seasons in recent Philadelphia Eagles history ended with the franchise losing three straight games in early December to fall out of the playoff race. After a 9-3 start and a realistic chance at a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs, the Eagles lost three straight games, the first two at home and the last to DeSean Jackson and the 3-11 Washington Redskins.
Now it's onto the offseason, where it's likely going to be one of those crazy offseasons for this franchise. Earlier today, the Eagles parted ways with Tom Gamble, their vice president of player personnel.
The move likely signifies more power for general manager Howie Roseman, which also means less for head coach Chip Kelly. It's Kelly who has had full control over all personnel moves since last offseason. But he's made a number of questionable decisions over the last calendar year, including the release of Pro Bowl receiver DeSean Jackson and the entire 2014 draft class, minus Jordan Matthews.
Regardless of who is in control over the Eagles' roster this offseason, it's obvious that the team needs a major upgrade at a number of positions, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. Kelly's style has been to bring in mid-range free agents, such as Connor Barwin and Malcolm Jenkins, while adding special teams pieces, like Chris Maragos and Bryan Braman.
Roseman has been more of a gambler in free agency, as he oversaw the massive "Dream Team" spending spree before the 2011 season, when the Eagles brought in Nnamdi Asomugha, Jason Babin, Cullen Jenkins and a number of washed-up former Pro Bowlers.
Whether the Eagles choose to spend big money in free agency will be a difficult, and fascinating, decision. The team clearly has the cap space, as I chronicled in my piece on the current salary-cap situation, so they could make some noise if they choose.
Franchise cornerstones like Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant and Justin Houston likely won't reach free agency. They'll be a top priority by their respective teams.
But the players on the following 10 slides would all be realistic options for the 2015 Philadelphia Eagles. They are in order by position.
Michael Vick, Quarterback
1 of 10
Michael Vick's season with the New York Jets went about as well as you'd expect. The 34-year-old former No. 1 overall draft pick showed that he clearly doesn't have much left in the tank.
Vick made three starts, winning one, but also struggled with injuries as has been the pattern throughout the duration of his NFL career.
He's clearly best suited as a backup quarterback at this point. It's possible that a team like the Buffalo Bills or Cleveland Browns, who will be in the market for a quarterback next year, would allow him to compete for a starting job in training camp. But even those days are likely gone for Vick.
The Eagles, if they choose not to re-sign Mark Sanchez, could look to bring back Vick as their backup. Having started six games for Chip Kelly's Eagles in 2013, Vick knows the system extremely well. Even at the tail end of his career, he could be effective enough in a two- or three-game span to keep the Eagles afloat should Nick Foles suffer an injury, as he has in all three years of his career.
If signed, it doesn't make sense for the Eagles to give Vick anything but a one-year deal worth about $2 or $3 million. Ideally, it'd be nice to see Vick brought back and given an opportunity to retire with the franchise that gave him a second chance in the NFL after he was released from prison in 2009.
Jake Locker, Quarterback
2 of 10
There might not be a more injury-prone quarterback in the National Football League than Jake Locker. The former first-round pick of the Tennessee Titans, Locker won't be given a starting job by any NFL team in 2015. It'd be a surprise if a team even gave him the opportunity to compete for a starting gig. He's shown flashes of being a talented player, but he simply can't be trusted to remain upright, literally.
But Locker, only 26, would be one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league. His speed (he's averaged at least 6.5 yards per carry all four seasons) makes him a threat in Chip Kelly's offense. Unlike Nick Foles or Mark Sanchez, he'd actually be a threat to run on read-option plays. He's not a particularly accurate passer, but he's shown a knack for avoiding turnovers.
I'd fully endorse Locker on a two-year deal worth about $4 million per year, and if needed for a few starts, he'd likely be able to lead the Eagles to 20 to 25 points per game.
Mike Iupati, Guard
3 of 10
Other than backup quarterback, don't expect the Eagles to invest much on the offensive side of the ball in free agency. They're set at running back, receiver, tight end, offensive tackle and center. After all, even with their well-publicized offensive struggles in 2014, they still ranked third in the National Football League in points scored.
One position where the team could use an upgrade, however, is right guard. Veteran Todd Herremans, the longest-tenured member of the Eagles, suffered through easily his worst season as a pro in 2014. He missed the final eight games of the season with a torn biceps, the second time since 2012 that he's missed a significant period of time with an injury. He also rated as the 57th-ranked guard, out of 78, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). With a salary of $5.2 million in 2015, it makes sense for the Eagles to consider looking elsewhere at the position.
San Francisco's Mike Iupati is scheduled to hit the open market this offseason. A 27-year-old two-time Pro Bowler, Iupati will likely be highly coveted by a number of teams. He's a tremendous run-blocker who would be a perfect fit in Kelly's run-first offense, assuming he can make the switch from left to right guard.
With Jason Peters, Evan Mathis, Jason Kelce, Mike Iupati and Lane Johnson, the Eagles should be able to go back to having one of the most dominant offensive lines in the NFL. That'd also be terrific news for LeSean McCoy, whose struggles in 2013 were directly related to the early-season poor play of his offensive line.
Iupati's relatively young age means that the Eagles would have three-fifths of their offensive line locked in for a number of years.
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Jason Worilds, Outside Linebacker
4 of 10
The Eagles find themselves in an unusual predicament regarding the future of their outside linebacker positions.
Veteran Trent Cole is scheduled to earn more than $11 million in 2015 and won't be back unless he takes a substantial pay cut. He has said he is willing to do so, but the Eagles may look to move on from the 32-year-old, who is an average player, at best.
Former first-round pick Brandon Graham is a free agent, but he may not be back. His situation is similar to that of Everson Griffen, a situational 4-3 pass rusher who was signed to a five-year, $42.5 million deal by the Minnesota Vikings last offseason. Best suited as a defensive end in a 4-3 scheme, Graham may want an opportunity to test the open market instead of staying as an outside linebacker in Billy Davis's 3-4 defense.
"Brandon Graham says talks between him and the #Eagles has cooled down the past two weeks.
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) December 29, 2014"
Last year's first-round pick, Marcus Smith, was so brutal as a rookie that the Eagles can't count on him to play any significant role in the 2015 season. That leaves the Eagles with a void to fill at a crucial defensive position.
A top candidate should be Steelers linebacker Jason Worilds, who almost signed with the Eagles last offseason before he was given the transition tag by Pittsburgh.
Worilds, 26, recorded 59 tackles, 7.5 sacks and two forced fumbles during his first year as a full-time starter. He wouldn't be a hot commodity like Darrelle Revis or Justin Houston, but he's exactly the type of player Kelly looks for in free agency.
Pair Worilds with Connor Barwin and hope for any development from Smith, and the Eagles won't miss a beat with their pass rush, even if Cole and Graham both leave.
O'Brien Schofield, Outside Linebacker
5 of 10
I pegged Seattle Seahawks linebacker O'Brien Schofield as a breakout candidate for the 2014 season. Well, that didn't happen like I expected.
Schofield played in all 16 games but he collected just two sacks and 20 tackles in approximately 21 snaps per game, per Pro Football Focus.
Schofield, who turns 28 this offseason, likely won't ever be a regular starter in the National Football League. But he has some pass-rushing ability and would be a good situational player in the team's 3-4 defense.
Schofield's impact on the field in 2015 would likely depend on what the team decides to do with Trent Cole and Brandon Graham, as well as the development of Marcus Smith.
But he's the type of player who would be worth a two- or three-year deal for the Eagles, who could give him about 25 snaps per game.
Byron Maxwell, Cornerback
6 of 10
I asked Eagles fans on Twitter who is the most realistic option they want in free agency this offseason. The most popular answer was Byron Maxwell.
Maxwell, 26, is one of a number of talented cornerbacks on the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. With the money this team will be paying Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas over the next few seasons, it's difficult to envision a scenario in which Maxwell opts to stay in Seattle.
The Seahawks seem to produce cornerbacks the way their division rivals, the 49ers, produce linebackers, and young players like Tharold Simon and Marcus Burley should be more than capable of taking over as starters, the same way Maxwell took over in 2014 for Brandon Browner.
In 2014, Maxwell allowed just one touchdown pass while playing in more than 700 snaps. He's intercepted six passes since 2013, despite making just 17 starts.
Maxwell, who turns 27 this offseason, is the type of big, physical corner the Eagles should desperately crave. After a dismal showing by Cary Williams and especially Bradley Fletcher in 2014, the Eagles simply have to upgrade their secondary.
"If Seattle can't re-sign, I'd make him a priority RT @sotothespartan do you think Eagles have a fair shot at Byron Maxwell?
— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) December 27, 2014"
Maxwell may be a slightly risky signing, as his success may be attributed to playing alongside not one, not two, but three Pro Bowl defensive backs in Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. But unless the Eagles feel like they can land future Hall of Fame cornerback Darrelle Revis, they need to go all-in for a player of Maxwell's ability.
With Maxwell, the Eagles can also look to draft a rookie and start him, or they can attempt to bring back veteran Cary Williams (preferably on a pay cut) as their number two corner. Williams, who allowed a passer rating of 89.5 in 2014, per Pro Football Focus, wasn't quite as bad as most fans seem to remember, although he did possess a knack for critical penalties at the worst moments.
Regardless, there's simply no excuse for not making a run at a player with Maxwell's skill set.
Antonio Cromartie, Cornerback
7 of 10
Although Byron Maxwell represents my first choice for the Eagles at cornerback, no one would complain if the fanbase chose to bring in two new starters at the position. After all, that's exactly what they did before the 2013 season, when veterans Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher were signed to replace Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
Williams and Fletcher haven't lived up to expectations during their two seasons in Philly, but they also weren't very good players with their previous teams.
Antonio Cromartie, once considered a top-three cornerback in the National Football League, is still a very talented player who would be an excellent starter on a two-year deal.
Cromartie, 31, has recorded at least three interceptions and 10 passes defensed in each of the last six seasons. He's durable too, having missed just one game during his nine-year career.
In 2014, Cromartie allowed just two touchdowns and a passer rating of 80.3, per Pro Football Focus. He also meets Chip Kelly's size requirements, standing 6'2 and weighing 210 pounds.
He'd probably be best suited as a No. 2 corner but if the Eagles brought him in as their No. 1 with Cary Williams or a rookie at No. 2, they'd still be moving in the right direction.
Perrish Cox, Cornerback
8 of 10
There's not a lot to dislike about Perrish Cox's first season as a starter. Having bounced around between the Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers (twice), the 27-year-old was finally given a chance to start for the Niners in 2014.
Cox intercepted five passes, tied for the most in the league among cornerbacks, and also defensed 18 balls. He collected 47 tackles and missed just four, per Pro Football Focus.
He's a little bit smaller than Chip Kelly's ideal cornerback, standing just 5'11" and weighing 189 pounds, so it will be interesting to see if the Eagles make him an offer should he hit free agency.
For what it's worth, Cox can also return punts in a pinch, and Eagles fans know how much Kelly values versatility, especially on special teams.
You could sell Cox as a No. 1 or a No. 2 cornerback, but either way, he'd be a tremendous improvement over the garbage the Eagles played at the position in 2014.
Devin McCourty, Safety
9 of 10
Here's the player I am most interested in this spring: New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty.
This guy, a former first-round pick, should be at the absolute top of Chip Kelly's wish list. He's everything the Eagles look for in a safety, as he's very similar to Malcolm Jenkins, but much better.
McCourty, a Pro Bowler as a rookie in 2010, is a converted cornerback, just like Jenkins. He's a playmaker, averaging 3.4 interceptions and 11.2 passes defensed per season. He's a consistent tackler, and he's just a year removed from rating as the best safety in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus.
After years of Nate Allen, Kurt Coleman, Jaiquawn Jarrett, Macho Harris, Jarrad Page and Patrick Chung, the combination of Devin McCourty and Malcolm Jenkins can finally give this fanbase what it's been lacking at the position: stability.
Just 27 years old, McCourty is talented enough to sign to a five-year deal worth $8 or $9 million per season. If the Eagles could land a top-tier cornerback like Byron Maxwell and a top safety like Devin McCourty, they will have what on paper looks to be an above-average secondary heading into the 2015 season. That could be enough to make this talented football team a dark-horse Super Bowl squad.
Rahim Moore, Safety
10 of 10
Forget about the long touchdown pass Rahim Moore allowed to Joe Flacco in the final minute of the divisional round in the 2012 playoffs. Yes, Moore's gaffe cost the Broncos a realistic shot at a Super Bowl title. But he's also been one of the better young safeties in the game since he entered the league as a second-round draft pick in 2011.
With the Broncos committed to a substantial amount of money on recent free-agent signings, per Overthecap.com, notably Peyton Manning, DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib and Emmanuel Sanders, they may be unable to pay Moore this spring.
That's good news for teams desperate for a safety. Although the Eagles got seven turnovers out of Nate Allen in 2014, he was extremely inconsistent and really didn't play that well. He'd be a good fit as a third safety, but they need a serious upgrade as a starter.
Moore recorded four interceptions in 2014 and surrendered just 183 passing yards all season, per Pro Football Focus.
Just 25 next month, Moore is worth $5 to $6 million per year on a multiyear deal. Pair him with Malcolm Jenkins and the Eagles will have their best combination of safeties since Brian Dawkins and Quintin Mikell in 2008.
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