4 minutes ago, Sack that QB said:

I look at it as there's a decent probability either BG or Ebiketie aren't good enough to play or be active every week. Ebiketie could be the next Ojulari where he's just not that good and BG at age 38... you just never know when he will not be playable anymore. So they'd go into the season with bodies and it shakes out how it shakes out.

This was the reason I didn't want BG back to start the year to begin with. If we lose some guys and need bodies then sign him later on but otherwise he's just taking up a roster spot for sentimental value.

They also are giving Ebiketie more than just the $3M they gave Ojulari. So if all he ends up being is a guy inactive every week, that's a really bad signing when money is tight to begin with.

At this time in 2017, we didn't know that Long, Robinson, Jeffrey, and Foles would all hit. We signed Blount in May and traded for Darby in August.

At this time in 2022, we didn't know how much we'd get from Reddick. We acquired AJ in April, signed Bradberry in May, and traded for CJGJ in August.

At this time in 2024, we were counting on Huff, questioning the Barkley move, and not paying any attention to Baun. Becton didn't show up until May.

5 minutes ago, HazletonEagle said:

I need Jordan Whittington back.

I'll take Matty and Verse for Brown and Hurts. Who says no?

1 minute ago, LeanMeanGM said:

This was the reason I didn't want BG back to start the year to begin with. If we lose some guys and need bodies then sign him later on but otherwise he's just taking up a roster spot for sentimental value.

They also are giving Ebiketie more than just the $3M they gave Ojulari. So if all he ends up being is a guy inactive every week, that's a really bad signing when money is tight to begin with.

I think we could very well be looking at Ebiketie as a bad signing. Ebiketie may have a little more upside than Ojulari when he signed, but make no mistake, Ojulari had more proven pedigree than Ebiketie and he still couldn't cut it. The chance that these "flier" Edge guys will make a noticeable impact to me are very low. How many guys like that have the Eagles added over the years that just weren't good enough? I don't think you can count on him or BG.

Wouldn’t do a deal with the Rams for anything less than Verse + significant draft capital. In other words, it wouldn’t get done

While Stafford is in the league, no need to make the Rams better by trading them Brown and taking a massive cap hit to do it. That's a Jets move

I don't think Ebiketie is that good. (And it's clear no one else does either). I think his upside is "ok this guy plays hard and isn't so bad, I don't mind him being in the rotation." And his downside is "why is this guy on the roster"? He's most likely another Uche/Ojilari.

What I do like is the vote of confidence in Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt. I think there is more there..and this team has major issues on offense. I don't want to burn major resources on an edge unless they are outstanding. Greenard is not that. Maxx Crosby has been that. Will he be that next year at 29 with his medical situation?

So...I'm in the middle ground on this. Let's not pretend Ebiketie is something he's not. They got an edge on Temu. But I think it was the right decision.

We've got a poor history with Greenard type DE's here. I really do not want to see that one come through.

The Eagles lost Patrick Johnson, Ojulari, Uche, Phillips from last year's team. That's 4 Edges. I know not all of them played, but they still need bodies. I think Ebiketie is a body to fill in who they paid a bit more than they'd pay a guy like Uche because they think Ebiketie has some upside.

18 minutes ago, Saltpeter said:

Wouldn’t do a deal with the Rams for anything less than Verse + significant draft capital. In other words, it wouldn’t get done

Yeah, if we want Verse we'd have to give AJ plus a pick.

If we deal him to the Rams geezus that would be pretty sad. Just go ahead and nail our window shut.

1 minute ago, eagle45 said:

We've got a poor history with Greenard type DE's here. I really do not want to see that one come through.

Greenard is very good. Not sure why he had a down year with the Vikings, I think he had a shoulder issue, but telling you right now he's a better player than Jaelan Phillips who they wanted to spend 25m a year on. He's a bit older, but he's better. Greenard is a double digit sack guy in this league. Getting him for a 4th if possible would be one of the better Edge outcomes of the offseason. I think signing Hendrickson would have been up there as well, but only on a short term deal, because he'll be 32 during the season and is coming off an injury. Who knows if he gets back to that 17 sack production at his age. But you'd also be losing a 3rd round comp pick with that. Otherwise you kinda gotta go Edge in round 1 or 2 because there's no one else available in free agency, but getting Greenard frees you up to go elsewhere with your top picks.

1 minute ago, Sack that QB said:

Greenard is very good. Not sure why he had a down year with the Vikings, I think he had a shoulder issue, but telling you right now he's a better player than Jaelan Phillips who they wanted to spend 25m a year on. He's a bit older, but he's better. Greenard is a double digit sack guy in this league. Getting him for a 4th if possible would be one of the better Edge outcomes of the offseason. I think signing Hendrickson would have been up there as well, but only on a short term deal, because he'll be 32 during the season and is coming off an injury. Who knows if he gets back to that 17 sack production at his age. But you'd also be losing a 3rd round comp pick with that. Otherwise you kinda gotta go Edge in round 1 or 2 because there's no one else available in free agency, but getting Greenard frees you up to go elsewhere with your top picks.

Would you want Greenard if the contract stops you from extending Carter?

1 minute ago, Sack that QB said:

Greenard is very good. Not sure why he had a down year with the Vikings, I think he had a shoulder issue, but telling you right now he's a better player than Jaelan Phillips who they wanted to spend 25m a year on. He's a bit older, but he's better. Greenard is a double digit sack guy in this league. Getting him for a 4th if possible would be one of the better Edge outcomes of the offseason. I think signing Hendrickson would have been up there as well, but only on a short term deal, because he'll be 32 during the season and is coming off an injury. Who knows if he gets back to that 17 sack production at his age. But you'd also be losing a 3rd round comp pick with that. Otherwise you kinda gotta go Edge in round 1 or 2 because there's no one else available in free agency, but getting Greenard frees you up to go elsewhere with your top picks.

Was going to post this. Greenard is a good player. But I don't think you'd get him for a 4. I'd hope the late 3 but even that might not work

If extensions are jeopardized and/or more than a late 3 are involved, I'd have no interest.

1 minute ago, eagle45 said:

Would you want Greenard if the contract stops you from extending Carter?

It won't. You can't worry about the cap stuff, Howie will figure it out. Once Carter's big money kicks in on that extension half the offense will be gone and it'll be guys on cheap rookie contracts and the cap will have raised by a ton at that point.

1 minute ago, pgcd3 said:

Was going to post this. Greenard is a good player. But I don't think you'd get him for a 4. I'd hope the late 3 but even that might not work

I didn't think so either, buy Gary was only for a 4th and I think Greenard and Gary probably have similar value around the league. Greenard higher upside, but a tad older. Gary had a better 2025 than Greenard did. I think a conditional 4th that can turn into a better pick based on performance is where you meet in the middle.

Just now, eagle45 said:

If extensions are jeopardized and/or more than a late 3 are involved, I'd have no interest.

I'm sure it won't happen if extensions are jeopardized.

2 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

If extensions are jeopardized and/or more than a late 3 are involved, I'd have no interest.

I'd say if they sign a DE then they are only extending one of Hunt/Smith but I think the others Carter/Q/Coop are all happening

4 hours ago, judunno said:

So I'm to believe your amazingly trained eye from watching YouTube clips over folks that watched him extensively since he was a rookie and the stats? Righhhht. Again Jackson was no way near better. Stop.

The guy was benched multiple times for poor play, inconsistency, team violations and penalties last year, so yes my eyes are better it seems.

Again i hope it works out, he has a lot of potential…but he’s been largely bad the past 2 seasons. The reason he was on the trade block last year, only got a 1 year deal and Seattle fans are ecstatic he’s gone. It’s a lot of money compared to last years dart throw. That’s the point.

38 minutes ago, Diehardfan said:

Verse!!!!

Part of me wonders if Adams would be part of that trade, released or kept. Feels like not enough targets to go around to puka, Adams and brown . The rams save$20 mil per spotrac trading Adam’s and $8 mil dead money

6 minutes ago, Sack that QB said:

It won't. You can't worry about the cap stuff, Howie will figure it out. Once Carter's big money kicks in on that extension half the offense will be gone and it'll be guys on cheap rookie contracts and the cap will have raised by a ton at that point.

I didn't think so either, buy Gary was only for a 4th and I think Greenard and Gary probably have similar value around the league. Greenard higher upside, but a tad older. Gary had a better 2025 than Greenard did. I think a conditional 4th that can turn into a better pick based on performance is where you meet in the middle.

Gary is much bigger, stronger, faster, younger, more explosive, and more productive last year. Greenard is a more polished and instinctive pass rusher. I'm not sure I'd say he has more upside. JMO.

5 minutes ago, e-a-g-l-e-s eagles! said:

Howie already knows what A.J. Brown's future is.

Epenesa still out there. Bring him in cheap and send BG to Boca Raton.

1 hour ago, paco said:

Winning free agency in 2016 got us a ring.

I'm trying to remember but I feel like there was a few guys we signed in 2024 that got us our second ring too......

Yep, free agency as a supplement choosing the right players is part of the process. I said free agency isn't the "primary" way to build a roster, and everyone knows that is through the draft. When you don't draft well, you have to sign free agents and make trades. Because of the bad drafting. Howie drafted badly on defense for years other than DT. The secondary was usually free agents and draft picks.

Managing the cap and structuring contracts affects what you're able to do in free agency as well. When you have a loaded roster because you have so many homegrown drafted players you give contract extensions to (which is the primary way they should do things) and not much cap room you can't sign free agents to "win" free agency. When you have the financial means to make a splash, you can. Howie did that over the years with certain players that he felt were worth the big contract.

There was the infamous dream team where he "won" free agency too and led to a 4-12 season.

Why did they need to sign Alshon Jeffrey and Torrey Smith? Because they had garbage at WR, they failed in prior drafts. They added some role players like Chris Long and some backup O linemen, a backup TE Burton (thanks for the Philly Special).

2024 Howie was able to make a big splash that surprised people in signing Barkley. He signed Baun as a special teamer and depth, and thankfully having a good DC got more out of him. No one thought that move was a "splash" or "winning" free agency because they thought Baun was a scrub. They also in that offseason extended their own: Dickerson, Elliot, Graham, Lovato, Mann. They also signed guys that had no impact like Will Grier, Parris Campbell, Tyler Hall. Also a big splash was signing Bryce Huff to replace Reddick...that one didn't work. Free agents don't always work out, and some are cheap camp bodies that get cut later.

The right way to do free agency is to supplement the draft with some affordable value guys and only spend big money when it's worth it: guys like Barkley, Brandon Brooks, trading for AJ Brown.

But both SB winning teams also had a core of drafted guys. Because again the draft is how you build, you supplement in free agency and make splashes when it's feasible to do so and not an overpay. This year there is no salary room to make a splash signing because - as Howie and Lurie and everyone has said for 2 years now - the plan is to use the money on extending their own players. I'd rather they extend Davis, Carter, Q and DeJean than overpay for a mid players now to "win" free agency and then not have money for their best core players.

We all also know that they will be offloading some of the offensive players contracts in the coming years. Once AJ, Dickerson, Barkley, Goedert, Lane, etc. are off the books, and he pays the other defensive guys, if he's got room he can make some more significant external signings.

Right now there's no money for that so "winning" free agency in 2026 is extending your own, adding a starting CB2 in Woolen and keeping eyes on the future.