2023 QBFS Philadelphia Eagles Off-Season Report

Alright folks, it's time for the much-awaited off-season report The Eagles have a total of 20 free agents on their roster, with 7 on offense, 1 on special teams, and 11 on defense. The list goes as such.

Offense

• Andre Dillard
• Tyree Jackson
• Gardner Minshew
• Zach Pascal
• Miles Sanders
• Boston Scott
• Issac Seumalo
  

Defense

• James Bradberry
• Fletcher Cox
• TJ Edwards
• Marcus Epps
• Brandon Graham
• CJ Gardner-Johnson
• Javon Hargrave
• Linval Joseph
• Robert Quinn
• Ndamukong Suh
• Kyzir White
  

ST

• Rick Lovato
  

Some big changes are coming our way, we will almost certainly not see the same roster that left the field in Arizona; so buckle up and get ready for some offseason action.

Let's get right into it with the offensive side of things.

QB:  Unfortunately, our backup quarterback Minshew is leaving, there isn’t much debate about it. It's a shame to lose him because backups can be so important and he has performed admirably when called to action four times in the last two seasons, but we wish him all the best as he moves on to fight for a starting job and a bigger contract elsewhere. When you are right up against the cap and have key starters that need contracts, spending big on the backup QB spot is a luxury.

RB: As for our running backs, Sanders and Scott are both likely gone. Sanders played his way out of our price range with a fantastic and healthy season. Scott is a fun gadget guy, dependable backup and Giant killer but  his role is pretty much redundant with how well Kenny Gainwell played down the back half of the year. However, we here at the QBFS are not too concerned about finding replacements as running backs in today's NFL are a dime a dozen, this draft class has a lot of promising talent and you could realistically turn a toddler into a 500 yard rusher behind this offensive line.

WR/TE:

At wide receiver and tight end, we're saying goodbye to Pascal, who didn't have much of an impact outside of blocking, and Tyree Jackson, who was a non-factor in his Eagles tenure. I wouldn’t be opposed to bringing Pascal back on the veteran minimum; but neither are likely to return.

OL:

Moving on to the offensive line, both Dillard and Seumalo are as good as gone. While losing a dependable backup tackle and solid starting guard stings, we have plenty of depth in the trenches and Jeff Stoutland is a god amongst men at developing talent. There’s a silver lining to their departures though. The Birds will likely get some valuable compensatory draft picks for the 2024 draft from their impending deals in free agency, which we will need to help stock up the pantry after Hurts gets paid. Secondly we have Jack Driscoll, who has proven to be solid at the guard spot, and 2022 draft pick/preseason darling Cam Jurgens, who could always kick over if Kelce comes back for a final year to replace the loss of Seumalo.

Now, let's talk about the defensive side of the ball. This is where things get a bit trickier.

DT:  This is going to be the position with the most potential turnover with four contributors set to hit free agency.  Fletcher Cox is gone, that’s a foregone conclusion unless he takes a very steep hometown discount, and I’m sure Linval and Suh will be gone as well. They were brought in to provide that veteran push, but let's be honest, all three of them are getting up there in age.

Javon Hargrave, the team's best defensive tackle, will probably get around 20 million dollars on the market according to Spotrac.com. Maybe Hargrave will come back on a team-friendly deal, but I think we should spend that type of money on CJGJ and Bradberry to be honest. In that case we're going to be left with only three DTs on the roster: Milton Williams, Jordan Davis, and Marlon Tuipulotu. Luckily, this year's draft is loaded with DTs, so I'm hoping that Milton Williams and Jordan Davis both continue to improve and the Birds spend one of their two first round picks to solidify a young DT rotation.

Edge: As for the edge rushers, Quinn is gone without question; he was a pretty big disappointment this year and is far beyond his prime. BG might retire, but I have a feeling he wants to give it one more shot and would take a hometown discount to get it done and retire as an Eagle. Depth is more of an issue here than top end talent, the duo of Josh Sweat and Haason Reddick were nothing short of dominant totaling 27 sacks between them, but it’s no secret the Eagles front office loves their pass rushers, so don’t be shocked if they utilize one of their four top 100 picks to restock the position group.

LB: White and Edwards are probably both gone, both played well this season but neither are a complete, every down linebacker . We didn’t draft Nakobe to sit on his rear, after all. Not to mention the eagles ran a ton of 5-1 formation (5 on the LOS, 5 DBs, 1 LB)  so we truly only need one every-down linebacker. Hopefully Dean can live up to his lofty expectations and become an impact player for this defense.

CB: When it comes to the cornerback position, Bradberry almost has to be back. The last memory of him might not be great, but he was arguably the most important player on defense not named Haason Reddick and opened up so much more of the playbook. He’s 30, so I don’t think he’s going to get a mega CB deal like Jalen Ramsey's level, but I could see him getting 15 million a year. If we can find a way to fit it under the cap, I'm doing it in a heartbeat. Unless your name is Sauce Gardner, the transition for young defensive backs to the NFL is tough so I’d much rather use what cap is available to secure Bradberry and preserve arguably the best CB trio in the league.

Safety:  Lastly, let's talk about the safety position. Epps is about as useful as a screen door on a submarine and scheduled to hit the open market. Luckily Reed Blankenship appears to be a diamond in the rough, playing well above expectations when he was called into duty halfway through November. The best part of all ? He's under our control for three more years and is so cheap you'd think we were stealing him. With a draft class full of promising safety prospects, the future is looking bright for our secondary.

Without a doubt, it's a must-do for the team to bring back CJGJ for another season. His on-field performance and impact are simply undeniable, leaving no room for debate. While he may come at a premium price of around 11-13 million, we can easily structure the contract in a way that secures his services with a 4-year, $50 million deal. It's a small price to pay for the type of game-changing talent he brings to the table.

Now this is the fun part;  we've got to figure out how to replace the guys we lost. Seomalu's shoes are no easy feat to fill, but we've got some solid options on the roster. As stated earlier, Jurgens has the size and skill set to step in and do some serious damage if Kelce decides to hang up his cleats. And if Kelce decides to stick around for 1 more shot at a title, they can likely slide Jurgens over to guard. Luckily we have Dickerson on the other side of him where he is a power house.

We can address our backup QB situation in the draft or snag a veteran free agent. Running backs are a dime a dozen, but this year's crop is bursting with talent and Gainwell is showing some real promise, too.

Our WR/TE game is looking strong with or without Pascal and Jackson, so we don't need to worry about shelling out big bucks or draft picks for the offensive side of the ball.

There is no shortage of running back prospects to choose from this year and it’s truly the only immediate need we see on offense. While guys like Bijan Robinson and Gibbs are likely to be first round picks there’s plenty of depth to be had in all rounds.

• Bijan Robinson
• Jahmyr Gibbs
• Zach Charbonnet
• Zach Evans
• Tank Bigsby
• Sean Tucker
• Devin Achane
  
  

Defense  is where we need to focus. Lucky for us, this year's Defensive Tackle class is stacked with talent, arguably the best position group in the draft and undoubtedly our biggest need. We're talking a class 10 deep with DTs who could make an immediate impact. To name some of those:

• Jalen Carter
• Bryan Bresee
• Gervon Dexter
• Calijah Kancey
• Byron Young
• Siaki Ika
• Keanu Benton

The Edge Rusher class isn't quite as elite, but it's still looking strong overall. Will Anderson is a standout, but we know we won't have a chance at drafting him.

• Tyree Wilson
• Myles Murphy
• Isaiah Foskey
• Nolan Smith
• Lukas Van Ness
• Derrick Hall
• Andre Carter
• Will McDonald

While we might not see a bonafide day one star at cornerback, there's no shortage of highly intriguing prospects.

• Joey Porter Jr.
• Christian Gonzalez
• Devon Witherspoon
• Cam Smith
• Clark Phillips III
• Emmanuel Forbes
• Kelee Ringo
• Deonte Banks

In a worst case scenario where we lose CJGJ I'm really liking what I'm seeing in the safety class. Antonio Johnson is like a bigger version of CJGJ, and Brian Branch is giving off some serious Earl Thomas vibes. And let's not forget about JL Skinner, the enforcer type of safety who can go toe-to-toe with any tight end in the league.

• Antonio Johnson
• Brian Branch
• JL Skinner
• Ji’Ayir Brown
• Brandon Joseph
• Chris Smith
• Jammie Robinson

Well now that’s settled, let’s remember things can change in a flash when it comes to NFL rosters and free agency. Howie is a cap wizard and could very well have another stroke of genius and retain a majority of the players we are slated to lose. Regardless of what happens in free agency or the draft, Eagles fans should be confident in the current makeup of this team. Our offense looks like a powerhouse for the next half decade, we have an incredibly talented duo rushing the passer, and a few other young talented players who could make a huge impact going forward on defense.  The future is bright.