Some Offseason Talk

[time2rock]

Some Offseason Talk

Posted: February 18th, 2025 | Author: Tommy Lawlor

Now that the Super Bowl has come and gone, the NFL offseason is upon us. Teams can start using the franchise tag. The Scouting Combine starts next week. Free agency isn’t that far away.

Let’s talk about some of the Eagles key free agents.

Milton Williams – He’s gone. Williams will get a big deal in free agency. Disruptive DL in the prime of their career are highly valuable. You might wonder if that’s true then why don’t the Eagles keep him. They will have to pay Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith soon enough. The team has a young, cheap replacement in Moro Ojomo and will certainly spend a draft pick on another DL. This is a deep DL draft so that matches up well. I’m sure the Eagles will talk to Williams to see what offers he is getting, but I just don’t know if the Eagles can realistically match. If they do lose him and don’t make any major outside FA signings, they could get a comp pick next year.

Zack Baun – People love to point out that the Eagles don’t spend big at LB, which is true. But this feels different. Baun had a legit shot at the Defensive Player of the Year award. He’s not just a solid LB. Baun was a difference-maker. This is a guy you do everything possible to keep around. He might be even better off the field. You absolutely want him on your team, especially with so many young players on that side of the ball. Baun is the kind of leader they need to be around.

Josh Sweat – I tend to think he’s gone, but I don’t feel as strong on Sweat. He will turn 28 in late March. In theory, he could have several more good years left. At the same time, Sweat might age faster than others. I don’t see him playing until 35 like BG. Sweat was brilliant in the SB and that will probably get him overpaid by someone. He would make sense if the price is right, but I’m guessing he ends up elsewhere.

Mekhi Becton – Based on his highlights, Becton should be a Top 10 free agent. Unfortunately for him teams study whole games. Becton started 15 games and played the best football of his career. But he also was inconsistent. There were times when he struggled to pick up blitzes. There were times when he missed some simple blocks. Becton was still an above average player because of his size/strength. He had dominant moments. The Eagles are spending big at LT, LG and RT. They will need to pay Cam Jurgens. I think they have to go cheap at one of the OL positions. Replacing Becton with Tyler Steen would make financial sense. There is an X-factor. Becton seemed genuinely happy to be part of the Eagles. If he’s willing to sign a reasonable deal, the team could keep him around. The intriguing part of this is that Becton should improve as he plays RG more. He could become a legit Pro Bowl player with more experience.

Kenneth Gainwell – Kenny G was a valuable role player. The bad news for him is that Will Shipley has a similar skill set and there is a loaded RB class in the upcoming draft. If you pay Saquon big money it helps to have cheap backups. Gainwell is purely a role player so there may not be a big market for him.

Isaiah Rodgers – If the Eagles have to cut Darius Slay, bringing Rodgers back makes some sense. Kelee Ringo has shown some flashes, but I don’t know that he’s done enough to make you feel comfortable with him as the starting LCB. Rodgers has 13 career starts and was solid in his first season with the Eagles. This is another situation where the money will be criticial. Rodgers shouldn’t expect huge money. You never know what guys talk themselves into, though. If the price is right, bringing him back would make a lot of sense.

*****

Doug Nussmeier is going to be the OC for Kellen Moore in New Orleans. They have worked together for several years so this makes total sense. Good luck to both of them. It will be interesting to see how they do with that offense next season.

So the Eagles need an OC and a QB coach. What’s going on there?

Is Josina just saying there should be a good plan in place or that she knows what is going on? It is hard to get a read on her comment. It does feel like Kevin Patullo will get the OC job. Nick Sirianni is very close to Patullo. I’m sure that is his first choice. Jalen Hurts is a big believer in continuity when possible. He and Patullo have worked together since 2021 so that side of things makes sense.

The Eagles will need to find a QB coach and possibly a veteran assistant to add to the mix. This will give them a chance to add someone from the outside.

Moore is taking another coach to the Saints. He’s hiring TJ Paganetti, who was the Eagles assistant OL coach and run game specialist. He’s been part of the coaching staff since 2017 so this isn’t a small loss. The Eagles will look around to see if they find a good young OL coach to work with Jeff Stoutland and help with the run game. Greg Austin could be a name to watch.

If you don’t follow Sam on Twitter, you should.

Paganetti was a smart hire by Moore.

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This is very cool.

http://igglesblitz.com/2025/02/some-offseason-talk/

[birdman#12]

With the unexpected bigger rise in the salary cap, maybe some of these guys we expect to lose can be brought back. 

[time2rock]

2 hours ago, birdman#12 said:

With the unexpected bigger rise in the salary cap, maybe some of these guys we expect to lose can be brought back. 

If given the choice, I'd sooner prioritize bringing our own back (for the most part) and running it back than adding outsiders through free agency.  First, you know the guys we have now can play and fit the scheme.  Second, you don't know how well someone from outside will fit in (see Huff).  

[UK_EaglesFan89]

1 hour ago, time2rock said:

If given the choice, I'd sooner prioritize bringing our own back (for the most part) and running it back than adding outsiders through free agency.  First, you know the guys we have now can play and fit the scheme.  Second, you don't know how well someone from outside will fit in (see Huff).  

I think if I were given the choice yeah that’s the way I’d go. I think the best outcome though may be to bring back 2-3 of those guys (and hey who knows maybe a couple of the "cheaper” guys and then bring in a couple of new faces. Keep the group mostly together but bring in fresh faces who are hungry.