Top 10 NFL Free Agents Philadelphia Eagles Must Sign
The most important date on the upcoming schedule for the Philadelphia Eagles comes in March, when the NFL's free-agency period begins.
That's when some teams choose to go all-in for a number of high-priced free agents, as the Philadelphia Eagles did in 2011 and the Denver Broncos did in 2014. But that hasn't been the style of current Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, who has shown in each of the past two seasons that he prefers to add mid-range players in free agency.
When there's a Jairus Byrd available to sign, Kelly will sign Malcolm Jenkins. When Darrelle Revis is available, Kelly will add Cary Williams.
Even though the Eagles have close to $25 million in cap space, per Over the Cap, don't expect any big signings this year. They have some major holes, especially in the secondary, and they could also use an upgrade at backup quarterback and outside linebacker.
But if there are any visions of Kelly pursuing a star like Dez Bryant or Justin Houston, prepare to be disappointed. First, those players will likely be franchise-tagged or re-signed, and second, Kelly just doesn't spend top-dollar for free agents.
Realistically, the most likely free-agent signings the Eagles make will be their own players. That's how it works with most teams, and that's especially how it's going to work with a coach like Kelly, who grows comfortable with players he is used to.
The following 10 players will highlight the free-agent signings the Eagles most need to make during this offseason. They're ranked in reverse order, from No. 10 to No. 1, but they're also ranked based on scheme fit and contract, so you're not going to see many superstars on this list.
10. Byron Maxwell, CB
1 of 10
Byron Maxwell is the cornerback most Eagles fans will want the team to pursue, and rightfully so. He's the top free-agent corner, but the Seahawks are working on keeping him in Seattle, per general manager John Schneider. If the team can give quarterback Russell Wilson the first fully guaranteed contract in league history, it will be able to sign players like Maxwell.
If not, though, expect the Eagles to be among the top bidders for Maxwell. The Eagles desperately need to improve at cornerback.
Veteran Cary Williams is scheduled to earn more than $8 million in 2015, per Eagles Cap, and is best suited as a No. 2 corner. He may be back, but only on a restructured contract. Free-agent Bradley Fletcher allowed 1072 passing yards, the most in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus, plus nine touchdown passes.
It may be difficult for the Eagles to replace both starting corners, but if they can only replace one, Maxwell and Williams would be a tremendous upgrade over Williams and Fletcher.
9. Torrey Smith, WR
2 of 10
If the Eagles foolishly (and "foolishly" is a massive understatement) allow veteran wide receiver Jeremy Maclin to walk in free agency, they're going to need a replacement. They simply cannot enter another season with Riley Cooper starting on the outside.
Veteran Torrey Smith, a second-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2011, suffered through a disappointing year in 2014 by his standards. Although he caught 11 touchdowns, he collected just 49 receptions for 767 yards and dropped 11 passes, the second-most in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus.
Smith's reputation is as a deep threat, and he's averaged 16.9 yards per catch throughout his four-year career. By comparison, DeSean Jackson, perhaps the best deep threat in the NFL, has averaged 17.7 yards per catch.
Nick Foles doesn't throw a particularly good deep ball, however, so if the Eagles signed Smith, they'd have to keep that in mind. Then again, Smith is more than just a one-trick pony. Just 26 years old, he is the fifth or sixth-best free-agent receiver and would be relatively cheap compared to a player like Maclin, which also makes him more likely than a prize free-agent signing like Maxwell.
8. Devin McCourty, S
3 of 10
Perhaps it's unreasonable to think the Eagles have a chance of obtaining a player like Devin McCourty, the former Pro Bowl safety for the New England Patriots. He is a candidate for the franchise tag if the Patriots cannot work out a long-term deal with the veteran safety.
But if McCourty reaches free agency, expect the Eagles to be interested. He is similar to Malcolm Jenkins. He was drafted as a cornerback, even intercepting seven passes and earning a Pro Bowl selection during his rookie season. But he converted to safety in 2012. His big plays have decreased, but he's one of the best safeties in the league, even rating as the league's best in 2013, per Pro Football Focus.
The combination of McCourty and Jenkins would be the Eagles' modern equivalent of Brian Dawkins and Quintin Mikell. It would be a major step in the right direction for a franchise that has allowed the most passing yards in the National Football League over the past two seasons.
Expect McCourty over Maxwell, if the Eagles have their choice, based simply on his versatility at multiple positions.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
7. Perrish Cox, CB
4 of 10
Player A: Two interceptions, 81.1 passer rating allowed, 39-of-43 on tackles, 717 snaps played
Player B: Five interceptions, 78.0 passer rating allowed, 54-of-58 tackles, 965 snaps played
Player A is Byron Maxwell, the highly sought-after free-agent cornerback with Seattle's Legion of Boom, a player who likely benefits from playing with three of the best defensive backs in the NFL.
Player B is Perrish Cox, a mid-range cornerback with the San Francisco 49ers, a player who led all cornerbacks in the NFL in interceptions during his first year as a full-time starter.
Maxwell is expected to become the highest-paid free-agent cornerback on the market. He's just not worth it for an Eagles team that would benefit much more from a player like Cox, who might actually be better with much less publicity.
6. Casey Matthews, ILB
5 of 10
Perhaps the biggest whipping boy on the Eagles over the past few seasons, backup linebacker Casey Matthews has quietly, against all odds, emerged as a player the team really needs to bring back in 2015.
When veteran DeMeco Ryans missed the final eight games of the 2014 season with a torn Achilles, it was Matthews who filled in, along with Emmanuel Acho, at inside linebacker.
Did he play well? No. Did he hold his own? Yes.
Was the drop-off from Ryans to Matthews noticeable? No.
Just 26 years old as he enters his fifth season in the NFL, Matthews will never turn into the next great football player from the Matthews family that has produced a couple of Hall of Famers, plus Green Bay All-Pro linebacker Clay Matthews. But Matthews enjoyed the best year of his career in 2014, and his ability to also contribute on special teams, which means the world to Kelly, makes him a viable candidate to earn a cheap contract extension this offseason.
5. Nate Allen, S
6 of 10
Nate Allen collected seven turnovers in 2014: four interceptions and three fumble recoveries. Those seven turnovers are more than every other safety in the National Football League.
Yet turnovers don't tell the story of Allen's season. Not even close. The fifth-year safety, who was brought back on a one-year deal last offseason, was expected to turn in a breakout season playing alongside veteran Malcolm Jenkins, his best counterpart since Quintin Mikell in 2010. But Allen proved that he's basically the same player, as he allowed a passer rating of 106.2, per Pro Football Focus.
The lasting memory of Allen's fifth season in Philly will be the game-winning 75-yard touchdown he surrendered in the final minutes of a heartbreaking loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 8, a game that eventually cost the Eagles a spot in the postseason.
However, safety play across the league is pretty low, with Allen rating as the eighth-best free-agent safety, per Rotoworld. With Allen still young (27) and familiar with the system, it makes sense for the Eagles to lock him up on yet another one-year deal at a low cost. The hope for the Eagles would be to bring in a player through the draft who could start next to Jenkins, which would make Allen a third safety, but it would be worse to allow him to leave and be forced to start Earl Wolff or Ed Reynolds.
4. Chris Polk, RB
7 of 10
Chris Polk is not a starting running back in the National Football League, and he'll probably never become one. But as a third-down/goal-line back who can also contribute on special teams, he's exactly the type of player Kelly needs to keep on his team.
An restricted free agent, Polk carried 46 times for 172 yards (3.7 yards per carry) and four scores last season. He also showed a willingness to succeed on special teams, with his big play coming against the Washington Redskins in Week 3 when he returned a kick 102 yards for a touchdown.
But Polk is remembered more for what didn't happen, as the Eagles lost games against the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals after failing on short-yardage plays. He wasn't handed the ball in either of the two situations, and it's a mistake Kelly likely learned from. Late in the year, Polk became the Eagles' go-to runner on the goal line, as the 25-year-old scored twice against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 15.
On a one- or two-year deal at $1 million or so per season, the Eagles need to bring back Polk for a fourth season, hopefully with an expanded role this time.
3. Brandon Graham, OLB
8 of 10
The next three players listed are all members of the Eagles. That's how it works in free agency. Realistically, what's higher: the chance of the Eagles re-signing player A from team X who will be sought after by 31 other teams or a current starter/backup from their own team who they are familiar with from the past few seasons?
Brandon Graham, ranked third on the list, will likely leave the Eagles this offseason. He's a 3-4 outside linebacker who was drafted as a 4-3 defensive end and would likely thrive if he returned to the same position. He'd actually be a perfect fit for a team like the Dallas Cowboys or New York Giants, which both need young pass-rushers.
The Eagles' first-round pick in 2010, Graham has had an unusual career in Philly. A promising rookie season was derailed by a torn ACL that severely hindered his 2011 campaign. He turned in a potential breakout season in 2012, rating as Pro Football Focus's fourth-best player in the league on a per-snap basis, but he struggled in his first year as a 3-4 outside 'backer in 2013.
Heading into 2014, he was placed on the trade block, and although the Eagles kept him, he played in just 524 snaps in 16 games. He still rated as the league's third-best 3-4 outside linebacker, per Pro Football Focus. He collected 5.5 sacks, and his four forced fumbles ranked second across the NFL.
If the Eagles do bring back Graham, it'll likely be as the replacement for veteran Trent Cole, who is scheduled to earn more than $11 million in 2015 and isn't worth half as much as he enters his age-33 season. But Graham will likely command a salary similar to that of Minnesota's Everson Griffen, who raked in more than $42 million over five seasons before 2014, despite zero previous seasons as a full-time starter.
That's just not going to be worth it for an Eagles squad that will likely upgrade at the position through the draft or via a cheaper option in free agency.
2. Cedric Thornton, DE
9 of 10
Most would expect wide receiver Jeremy Maclin to be the most likely free-agent signing by the Philadelphia Eagles. I don't agree, though. Because of Maclin's high price tag, the most likely free-agent signing for the Eagles is a mid-range starter who is entering his age-27 season.
Defensive end Cedric Thornton became a starter during training camp in 2013 and has established himself as the best run-stopper on the team. He's not a Pro Bowler or a top-10 defensive end in the league; he's a major liability as a pass-rusher and is not going to receive anything more than a two-year deal.
But it really doesn't make sense for the Eagles to move on from Thornton. He's a classy team player who entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2011 before helping turn the Eagles into the league's most underrated run defense the past two seasons. He's rated as the eighth and third-best run-stopping 3-4 defensive end in the last two seasons, per Pro Football Focus.
If the Eagles allowed Thornton to leave in free agency, they'd likely use 2012 second-round pick Vinny Curry as the starter opposite Fletcher Cox, but the feeling here is that the team prefers a rotation of Thornton and Curry.
Expect Thornton, an unrestricted free agent, to get a one- or two-year deal worth about $3 million per season.
1. Jeremy Maclin, WR
10 of 10
There's a growing sense of pessimism among the Eagles fanbase regarding the team's willingness to lock the 26-year-old receiver up on a long-term deal. Count me among the group that wouldn't be surprised to see Kelly allow yet another top-flight receiver to leave for the second straight offseason.
Maclin established himself as a top-15 receiver in the National Football League in 2014, playing in all 16 games and catching 85 passes for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns. He's a capable and willing blocker, a dynamic presence in the locker room and a team-first player who bet on himself last offseason and won.
Now it's the Eagles' decision whether they pay him or let him leave to test the free-agency market, in which case he'd be a virtual lock to rejoin former head coach Andy Reid in Kansas City. For added incentive, Maclin is also from Missouri.
Without question, Maclin is the most important free-agent signing the Eagles need to make this offseason. Let's all hope the team finds a way to get this deal done before the start of free agency in a few weeks.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
