Eagles' Team Needs to Fill in 2022 NFL Free Agency

The Philadelphia Eagles made plenty of progress in 2021. They brought in new leadership in the form of head coach Nick Sirianni, who then guided the team to nine wins and a wild-card berth in his first season at the helm.

With a roster featuring quite a bit of young talent, Philadelphia could be in a position to soon make deeper postseason runs, after it lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Wild Card Round this past season. The Eagles have solid core players to continue to build around moving forward.

However, if Philadelphia hopes to keep making progress, it will need to fill some of its roster holes. Some of those can likely be addressed via free agency, as the Eagles are currently projected to have $18.5 million of available cap space, per Over the Cap. And they could have more depending on the moves they make between now and the start of free agency on March 16.

Here's a look at some of Philadelphia's biggest needs that it could address with free-agent signings.

Wide Receiver

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In recent years, the Eagles have had mixed results taking wide receivers in the draft. Some such as Jalen Reagor (first round in 2020), Quez Watkins (sixth round in 2020) and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside (second round in 2019) have yet to break out. Meanwhile, DeVonta Smith (first round in 2021) had a solid showing during his rookie season.

It's possible that Philadelphia could draft a wide receiver in the first round for the third straight year, considering it owns the Nos. 15, 16 and 19 overall picks. But it may instead look to add a proven playmaker during free agency, as it may want to add a receiver who is less of an unknown.

The Eagles may not be able to spend big on a wide receiver like Davante Adams or Chris Godwin, but one potential target could be Mike Williams. The 27-year-old is coming off the best season of his five-year NFL career, and Sirianni was the Los Angeles Chargers' wide receivers coach during Williams' rookie campaign in 2017.

Even if Philadelphia targets wide receivers who won't cost as much as Williams, that could be the best way for it to bolster its offense, rather than trying to use more draft capital on the position. So don't be surprised if the Eagles sign a No. 2 receiver to start alongside Smith.

Defensive End

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The Eagles may be looking to get younger on their pass rush in 2022. They have 24-year-old Josh Sweat on one side, but their best starting option on the other end is currently 33-year-old Brandon Graham. Derek Barnett (25) and Ryan Kerrigan (33) may not return in free agency.

There's a good chance that Philadelphia could use one of its three first-round draft picks on an edge-rusher. But that doesn't mean the team can't add a lower-cost defensive end in free agency, as it wouldn't hurt to have strong depth on the edges.

Al-Quadin Muhammad could be a good fit for the Eagles, as the 26-year-old had a career-high six sacks while starting all 17 games for the Indianapolis Colts in 2021. He also has ties to Philadelphia defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, who was the Colts' defensive backs coach from 2018-20.

After ranking 31st in the NFL with only 29 sacks last season, the Eagles need to generate more pressure in the future. So they could benefit from adding several pass-rushers this offseason in an attempt to strengthen their defensive front for 2022 and beyond.

Defensive Backs

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Philadelphia could be losing several key players from its secondary this offseason, as cornerback Steven Nelson and safeties Anthony Harris and Rodney McLeod are all hitting free agency. The Eagles will need to fill multiple starting spots on their defense if those players opt not to return.

While it's quite likely that Philadelphia will add some defensive backs during the draft, it may also be wise to bring in a veteran to join the group and play alongside top cornerback Darius Slay. If the Eagles believe they can be a top playoff contender in the near future, they may want a corner and/or safety who won't need time to develop.

There will be some intriguing potential fits on the free-agent market, such as Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward and New York Jets safety Marcus Maye. Both are fairly young players who could fill starting roles immediately and hold down those spots for numerous seasons.

If Philadelphia is going to spend big at a position during free agency, it may want to use that money on a defensive back, considering it could use a boost in the secondary. And by signing one of the top available players, it would get just that.