Philadelphia Eagles Guide to the 2017 Free-Agent Market
The Philadelphia Eagles probably won't be big spenders in the 2017 free-agency market, and not by their own choice.
A team with a plethora of serious needs may not be able to address most of them with free agency, simply due to their severely limited cap space. Over The Cap estimates the Eagles' cap space at $9.8 million, a number that recently increased with the release of cornerback Leodis McKelvin.
One would figure the Eagles will have somewhat more than that considering Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com reported the team is trying hard to free up "significant cap space" with various releases and trades.
It remains to be seen how much cap space they can open up without seriously increasing their already vast roster needs.
The draft will serve to fill a lot of those gaps, but Philadelphia would be smart to add some veteran depth in key areas and make potentially one big signing to shore up one of their biggest weaknesses.
Where would the Eagles' limited cap space be best used? Let's answer some of those questions by looking at where the team needs to address most, and why.
Cornerback
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One of the league's worst cornerback units needs a serious rehaul in the offseason, and many Eagles fans are hopeful that will come in the draft and not primarily through free agency.
The pair of starting cornerbacks that the Eagles will deploy in 2017 stands to look completely different than the one that closed out 2016, with McKelvin's release setting the tone. Veteran Nolan Carroll is a free agent and may be best served to re-sign in Philly, but the Eagles should find a new starter and allow him to take a backseat role.
Jalen Mills had a promising rookie season, but if he starts in 2017 it needs to be in the slot and not one of the wide positions. If the Eagles want to avoid plugging two draft picks in as immediate starters, a strong free-agency signing would be wise.
Philly fans will be hesitant to throw big money at a free-agent corner based on recent history, but there are some gems available. The Houston Texans' A.J. Bouye is coming off a breakout season, and the Eagles could also look inside the NFC East and nab Morris Claiborne from the Dallas Cowboys after he shed his bust label with a great contract year in 2016.
The Eagles could go more of a value route and still get a potential starter by looking at Ross Cockrell or Darius Butler. Recently released Sam Shields is a popular name for Eagles fans, but his concussion history will make him a tough sell.
Wide Receiver
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In a perfect world, the investment the Eagles have made at wide receiver recently in the draft would have them in position to grow and foster that talent around Carson Wentz. But it's not a perfect world.
Save for Jordan Matthews, the Eagles' high draft picks out wide have been colossal busts. Former first-round pick Nelson Agholor regressed heavily in 2016 to the point where he was benched for confidence issues. Josh Huff never materialized and got released after an off-field incident, and even Dorial Green-Beckham is showing a lack of development after a training-camp trade with the Titans last season.
If there's a spot where the Eagles would be wise to make a big signing with their limited cap space, it's undoubtedly at receiver. Locking up a top talent like Alshon Jeffery could take Wentz's game to the next level, but there's an inherent risk after his four-game suspension last season.
Many Eagles fans also have their eyes on the pair of Redskins free agents, DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon.
Jackson draws obvious interest from his time as an Eagle, and Garcon is a reliable middle-of-the-field target. But Matthews already does a lot of what Garcon would do, and Jackson (aged 30 now) may not be worth the cap hit.
The most reasonable solution would be to chase an affordable, yet effective, option like the Dolphins' Kenny Stills or the Cowboys' Terrance Williams.
Stills would give the Eagles a deep-ball threat that they don't have, while Williams has shown good consistency, and it would be awfully sweet to nab him from the bitter rival.
Defensive End
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The Eagles look strong on paper on the outside of Jim Schwartz's four-man defensive line. But beyond a great season from Brandon Graham, there proved to be little in the form of consistent edge rush.
Vinny Curry failed to impress in his first season as one of the Eagles' highest-paid players, and Connor Barwin could (should) be a cap casualty with Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News expecting the 30-year-old to be gone. Marcus Smith had the best season of his career, but that's not saying much and Philly would be smart to cut ties with the first-round bust.
Those moves will free up more opportunity for Curry to play up to the level of his pay stub, but reliable depth will be a significant need. Getting a veteran or two in the fold would be great to go alongside a potential draft pick, and there are a heap of solid names in that department up for grabs.
Dwight Freeney is a free agent after a renaissance season in his more limited role with the Falcons. Chris Long could be a target, as well as DeMarcus Ware if he chooses to spurn retirement.
The Eagles may not need a starter at defensive end, but they desperately need more guys who can come in on second and third down and produce some pass rush.
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Offensive Line
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The Eagles' offensive line may be one of the more underrated units in football, but the depth isn't quite there and there are some serious questions looming over this offseason.
Jason Peters is still one of the better left tackles in the league, but Adam Caplan of ESPN reported the Eagles have approached him about taking a pay cut. That could prove difficult, considering he's outside the top 10 in highest-paid left tackles, per Over The Cap, and hasn't declined despite turning 35 in January.
Longtime center Jason Kelce could be on the move, as reported by Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com, and that could be a smart move to help the cap situation. But it would inevitably leave a big hole in the middle to go along with depth concerns in the interior.
Re-signing Stefen Wisniewski could be a solution there, as he played well in spot starts and is more of a starting center than the reserve guard role he played in 2016.
For guard depth, there are some former first-round busts up for grabs like Chance Warmack or Luke Joeckel who the Eagles could nab for cheap and potentially turn their careers around.
Running Back
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Free agency isn't a great way to address running back problems in today's NFL, but it's at least worth exploring due to the Eagles' growing weakness there.
Ryan Mathews is likely on the outs to save cap space, and the trio of Darren Sproles, Wendell Smallwood and Kenjon Barner (if he's re-signed) is not nearly enough to move into the new season with.
Some fans are dying to see draft stud Dalvin Cook land in Philly come April, but that's more of a pipe dream considering how much help the Eagles need at receiver and cornerback.
The Eagles need to get younger and more explosive at running back, making the draft an easier way to fix their backfield problems. Most of the free-agent group is either up there in years or destined to be re-signed or franchise tagged where they currently are.
There's one guy in his prime who the Eagles may look at, and that's Latavius Murray. Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle doesn't think the Raiders will explore re-signing him, and with less than 550 career carries and three seasons in the league he surely has a lot left in the tank.
But the Eagles would likely have to give the 27-year-old all of what they'd save in releasing Mathews, and that may make the decision a lot easier to just look toward the draft instead of throwing money at a strong free agent like Murray.
Linebacker
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Jordan Hicks and Nigel Bradham played well enough in 2016 to make the Eagles' linebacking crew seem like a strength, but there's a lot to be worried about behind those two playmakers.
Mychal Kendricks is a square peg in a round hole in Schwartz's defense, and the worst kept secret came out Monday as Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com reported the Eagles are looking to trade the displaced linebacker.
Kendricks is a freak athlete and a great blitzer but doesn't come close to fitting Schwartz's system that devalues linebacker blitzes, as told by his lack of playing time in 2016.
Stephen Tulloch wasn't a reliable backup and is likely gone in free agency, but Najee Goode could be re-signed and given the chance to earn playing time. That doesn't fix the fact that the Eagles need a new weak-side linebacker.
The best outside linebackers up for grabs are pass-rushing hybrids, which is exactly what the Eagles are getting away from. They could look in the division and secure longtime Cowboy Justin Durant, if he's still got anything in the tank.
Michael Morgan from Seattle could be a better player than his limited playing time with the Seahawks suggests, so he's a name to keep an eye on along with Barkevious Mingo, who has failed to live up to the hype of his sixth-overall selection in the 2013 draft.
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