Ranking Philadelphia Eagles' Best Remaining Free-Agency Options
For as much attention as the Philadelphia Eagles’ offseason has garnered both locally and nationally, the truth of the matter is the roster is still spotty. Wide receiver, offensive guard, cornerback and safety are all holes that have gone unaddressed or under-addressed thus far in free agency, to name a few.
Unfortunately, most of the big-name or even simply the worthwhile free agents are already off the market. Finding upgrades or even proven, serviceable players is a challenge at this point.
Not only that, but the Eagles will likely have to make some moves to create space under the salary cap if they do intend to go out and sign any more free agents. According to Spotrac, Philadelphia is a mere $3 million under the cap after a busy week.
Of course, it’s already been an unpredictable offseason under head coach Chip Kelly, his first with full control of all personnel decisions. You never know if another release or blockbuster trade is on the way, either of which could free up the money to add another player. With that in mind, we unearth five names that may be worth a look as free agency winds down.
5. Mike Pollak
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Ordinarily when a team releases a player—as the Cincinnati Bengals did with Mike Pollak this offseason—that should immediately set off some red flags. However, with the Eagles’ guard depth looking a little dicey, it might not be a bad idea to kick the tires on the seven-year veteran.
Philadelphia already cut starting right guard Todd Herremans. All-Pro left guard Evan Mathis reportedly is on the trade block, according to Ian Rapoport for the NFL Network. Allen Barbre, Andrew Gardner, Matt Tobin, Dennis Kelly and Josh Andrews are all on the roster, but it’s an underwhelming group. And while the team no doubt intends to take an interior lineman in the draft, there’s no guarantee a rookie is ready to contribute from Day 1.
Meanwhile, some found Pollak’s release curious. The 30-year-old journeyman appeared in 14 games and started six for the Bengals in 2014, earning the fifth-highest cumulative rating from among free-agent guards from Pro Football Focus, grading positively in both run and pass blocking. Pollak, who has 52 career starts, can also play right tackle.
Pollak did battle a knee injury last season, which is certainly cause for concern, but so is Philadelphia’s current projected interior of Barbre and Gardner. If the team could convince Pollak to come in on an inexpensive deal and compete for a job, it could go a long way toward bolstering offensive line depth.
4. Alan Ball
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For better or worse, Philadelphia filled one of its vacancies at cornerback with Byron Maxwell—although the team may have overpaid. Opposite Maxwell, however, remains one great big question mark.
The Eagles signed former Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants cornerback Walter Thurmond III, but he’s spent more of his NFL career in the trainer’s room than on the field.
In a press conference, Kelly suggested Nolan Carroll could compete for the other starting job as well, but Carroll stunk in his Week 17 audition last year, while Boykin and Thurmond have both been relegated to the slot most of the time. The team will no doubt draft a cornerback as well, which of course is always a mystery too.
There are proven alternatives out there—Alan Ball for instance. The eight-year veteran turns 30 this month and is coming off a season-ending biceps injury, but he actually has quite a bit going for him. Ball is 6’2”, 197 pounds, and Kelly loves size in the defensive backfield. The journeyman corner started 22 games for the Jacksonville Jaguars over the past two seasons, recording 17 pass breakups and three interceptions.
Obviously, Ball is not a permanent solution in the secondary, yet the soon-to-be 30-year-old could potentially be a solid No. 2 corner while also adding even more size on the perimeters. Given the Thurmond signing, Ball seems unlikely, but he certainly seems worth considering.
3. Sam Acho
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The Eagles re-signed Brandon Graham, who will take over as starter opposite Connor Barwin, seemingly alleviating the need for outside linebackers. However, behind Graham and Barwin, there is little in the way of proven depth.
Marcus Smith will be asked to step up after a disappointing rookie season in which the 2014 first-round pick barely saw the field, but the Eagles can’t rely on his development at this point. They could use a backup plan in the event somebody on the roster or a draft pick can’t fill the void.
Sam Acho could be the perfect fit for a variety of reasons. His brother, Emmanuel, is already on the roster at interior linebacker. Sam played in a 3-4 defense for the Arizona Cardinals, so Philly’s system wouldn’t be completely unfamiliar. Best of all, he still may have some upside.
A 2011 fourth-round pick, Acho started 26 games in his first two NFL seasons, recording 11.0 sacks, five pass breakups and four forced fumbles. A broken leg cut his 2013 short, and when he returned, Acho was primarily a reserve, registering 1.0 sack, three pass breakups and an interception last season.
Whether Acho could return to form with a bigger role is unknown, but he’d still be a reserve at least to begin with in Philly. Perhaps over time, the Eagles could unleash his full potential.
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2. Stevie Johnson
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Once again, you immediately have to be concerned about a player who was released. Why the San Francisco 49ers would trade for Stevie Johnson then release him a year later is a mystery, while his usage last season won’t help increase interest levels. Thirty-five receptions, 435 yards and three touchdowns were the seven-year veteran’s lowest totals since 2009.
Yet once upon a time, Johnson recorded over 75 receptions, 1,000 yards receiving and at least six touchdowns in three consecutive seasons—for the offensively challenged Buffalo Bills no less. He’s only two years removed from his last big campaign.
With Jeremy Maclin bolting for a big payday from the Kansas City Chiefs, the Eagles suddenly need a feature receiver. While they could look as early as the first round to find that player, yet again, it’s a huge role to entrust to a rookie.
Johnson could provide an excellent short-term solution while a young player is learning the ropes. He only turns 29 this year, so it’s not like he’s over the hill. He has always been lauded for his crisp route running, something Maclin did extremely well for Philly last year. Plus at 6’2”, 207 pounds, Johnson makes for an excellent red-zone target, an area the Birds really struggled in ’14.
The Eagles should be able to look past whatever reason the 49ers decided to part ways with Johnson. He seems like a good fit for the offense and no doubt would be interested after watching both Maclin and DeSean Jackson enjoy career years as No. 1 receivers in Kelly’s system.
1. Dwight Lowery
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Say what you want about Nate Allen and the ridiculous contract he received from the Oakland Raiders. He was an average safety in a league full of horrendous safety play, and as of right now, Philadelphia has no apparent replacement.
If there’s one thing the Eagles absolutely must do before training camp, it’s find a veteran capable of starting alongside Malcolm Jenkins. They can’t wait until the draft. They can’t simply plug Earl Wolff in there and hope for the best. They need somebody experienced.
It wouldn’t be the sexiest move ever, but Dwight Lowery could fill the void for a year, as he did for the Atlanta Falcons in 2014. The seven-year veteran started 15 games last season and 56 career starts in the NFL. At 5’11”, 212 pounds, the 29-year-old possesses decent size for the position, at least enough that it wouldn’t turn the Eagles off.
Perhaps most important, Lowery is experienced playing man-to-man coverage, which the Eagles like to do with their safeties. According to Pro Football Focus, he was second out of 60 safeties in targets, so he got plenty of work in coverage. Lowery finished '14 with 2.0 sacks, five pass breakups, two interceptions and two forced fumbles, adding to career totals of 4.0 sacks, 50 pass breakups, 12 picks and seven forced fumbles.
As is the case with all of these players, Lowery is purely a short-term solution, but somebody needs to be back there at least competing for the starting job. Next up for Philly is freeing up the cap space to sign a safety—or any of these players for that matter—which would seem to indicate another move or moves is on the way.
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