5 Free Agents Who Won't Be Signing with the Philadelphia Eagles

We all have our free-agent wish lists for the Philadelphia Eagles, but sometimes our desires simply aren’t realistic.

No doubt, the Eagles will be buyers when the market opens on March 10. They have the space under the salary cap. They have immediate needs to fill.

That doesn’t mean they can go out and pick up whomever they please.

Some players will price themselves out of the Eagles’ budget at a given position. Some may not fit exactly what the club is looking for, be it their age or some other attribute. Quite a few will never reach free agency at all.

I hate to be a buzzkill (not true), but any realistic discussion about what the Birds will do in free agency is probably better started by naming players the team will not be signing. Ahead, we look at a handful who won’t be coming to Philadelphia this spring.

Darrelle Revis

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Technically, the New England Patriots have a club option on Darrelle Revis, only there’s no way they’re going to keep him at the current $25 million cap hit, which means the All-Pro cornerback is headed to market barring a renegotiated contract. It just so happens corner is Philly’s biggest, most immediate need.

Revis is still one of the best cover men in pro football, and he will no doubt attract a ton of attention should he reach free agency. However, I wouldn’t expect the Eagles to be among the top bidders.

The main thing here is Revis’ age. He turns 30 this summer, and while that doesn’t necessarily mean his ability is suddenly going to drop off a cliff, the Eagles have to be thinking further down the road. Ideally, if they’re going to spend top dollar, that’s somebody who is going to be a shutdown cornerback for years to come.

If the Birds were one player away from winning a Super Bowl, that would be one thing. I’m not sure they’re that close, personally. Plus, there are a lot of aging players littered throughout the roster already. At some point, the goal has to be to get younger.

You can strike the likes of Antonio Cromartie (Arizona Cardinals) and Tramon Williams (Green Bay Packers) off the list for the same reason.

Money will also be a concern with Revis, and given where the Eagles are at, it’s hard to see them win a bidding war for a 30-year-old athlete. Whether he’s available or not, don’t expect Philadelphia to become the front-runners for Revis’ services.

Kareem Jackson

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Sticking with cornerback for a moment, Kareem Jackson doesn’t have the same age-related concerns. The five-year veteran of the Houston Texans only turns 27 this offseason, which means there’s plenty of tread left on the tires.

Jackson is an underrated player. He’s been a starter in the NFL since he was selected 20th overall out of Alabama in the 2010 draft, recording 10 interceptions and 50 pass breakups in 71 games.

However, what would seemingly make him unappealing to the Eagles is the fact that he’s only 5’10” with 30-inch arms. Head coach Chip Kelly prefers taller, longer players on the perimeter. That’s the prevailing theory behind why nickel corner Brandon Boykin won’t get an opportunity to start. Hardly a cornerback has been signed or drafted since Kelly’s arrival who wasn’t 6’0” or thereabout.

Am I saying Jackson isn’t worth more of a look? Not necessarily, but especially now that Kelly has full control over personnel decisions, the Eagles aren’t going to spend a lot of money on a player who doesn’t fit their prototype. It's best to start looking elsewhere.

Devin McCourty

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The question is: Do the Eagles hold their safeties to the same size standards they do their cornerbacks? So far, the evidence mostly points to yes.

Philadelphia uses its safeties in a fair amount of man-to-man coverage, so it would make sense that the team looks for taller players at that position as well. If that’s the case, you have to wonder how much interest the Eagles would have in a player like Devin McCourty, who lists at 5’10”.

Never mind the fact that the converted cornerback has been named All-Pro twice and been to two Super Bowls, helping the New England Patriots to another Lombardi Trophy just last week. Never mind McCourty has missed just three games in five NFL seasons and has shown a knack for coverage with 17 career interceptions and 58 pass breakups.

Will Kelly be able to see past his size? Perhaps. McCourty did measure with 32-inch arms at the scouting combine in 2010, via NFL.com, which means he plays longer than he stands. Not only that, but metrics site Pro Football Focus ranked him seventh out of 60 qualifying safeties in coverage this past season.

Still, McCourty isn’t exactly a young pup—he’ll be 28 when the regular season begins—and as arguably the best safety on the market (should he even get there), he could command top dollar. With all the question marks, will the Eagles be willing to spend big bucks? I wouldn’t write it off completely, but there’s more than enough here to be skeptical about.

Justin Houston

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Philadelphia finished tied for second in the NFL in 2014 with 49 sacks, yet pass-rusher could wind up being a major need this offseason. Trent Cole will be 33 and is a potential cap casualty. Brandon Graham is a free agent and may test the market. Marcus Smith couldn’t even get on the field as a rookie, typically a bad sign for a first-round pick.

It’s possible Cole and Graham both depart, which would put the Eagles in a real pinch. Yet despite the fact that outside linebacker would immediately become one of the club’s biggest needs, don’t expect the Eagles to be major players for Justin Houston’s services.

Don’t get me wrong, the Eagles would certainly show interest in Houston if he were to become available. They might even be willing to throw some serious cash around for a 26-year-old with 43.0 sacks over the past three seasons.

Then again, why would the Kansas City Chiefs let Houston reach free agency in the first place? Even if the organization is unable to arrive at a long-term extension with its stud pass-rusher, it would surely use the franchise tag to keep him from getting away.

So in this case, it’s less a matter of whether the Eagles can or are willing to sign Houston. He’ll never be there in the first place.

Demaryius Thomas

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At this point, there’s still a strong feeling Jeremy Maclin will re-sign in Philadelphia. Why hasn’t it happened yet? Well, you don’t see a lot of new contracts getting done with anybody right now—business should pick up around the combine—not to mention there are a lot of big-name wide receivers looking for contracts, so the first one to do a deal will set the market for the rest.

No doubt, some of the same jockeying is going on in Denver, where the Broncos are trying to come to an agreement with three-time Pro Bowler Demaryius Thomas. Once again, it’s hard to envision a situation where the team lets a star player in his prime get away.

Thomas is only 27, and at 6’3”, 229 pounds, he is one of the most difficult wideouts to cover in the game. He’s posted at least 90 receptions, 1,400 yards and 10 touchdowns in each of the past three seasons, which is just insane production whether Peyton Manning is throwing him the football or not.

But why would the Broncos let him walk away for nothing? The answer is they’re not going to. Even if they are unable to reach an extension, they’ll slap him with the franchise tag. He’s too good.

Fortunately, the Eagles should only be in the market for a high-price wideout if things don’t work out with Maclin, anyway. There’s no need to panic yet. These things take time. I suspect Maclin will be back in the fold and the Birds won’t be cruising free agency for a receiver at all.