We are a little over a week away from the legal tampering period of NFL free agency which starts on March 13th. The Philadelphia Eagles have a lot of decisions to make with 20 free agents. Normally the list would be smaller as there would have been negotiations and signings the prior year, but Eagles GM Howie Roseman chose to not to do that and mess with the continuity of the team that had championship aspirations last year. It made sense, but now it’s time pay the piper. Unfortunately for the Eagles despite these 20 free agents and not yet paying the franchise QB, taking their top 51 players under contract into consideration, they have are a little more than $1 Million under the cap. Part of this is because Howie always kicks the can down the road on these contracts leaving a lot of dead cap, he will most certainly be able to do that again this year. The Eagles should still be the favorite to come out of the NFC when the dust clears after the draft and free agency. Here is my best guess at who from the 20 Eagles free agents stays and goes.

Marcus Epps Safety 2022 Salary $672,029:

Epps had 70 tackles 1 forced fumble and 6 passes defended in the regular season and 9 tackles in the post season. He will likely fetch more than what he made last year and the Eagles will feel they can replace him with a day 3 draft pick.

Verdict: Go.

Gardner Minshew QB 2022 Salary $677,721:

Minshew backed up Hurts and played well against the Cowboys in his first start of the year. The next start against the Saints he did not. It was one of the worst performances I can remember seeing from a QB. That sealed his fate with this team. Someone like Marcus Mariota would be a better fit going forward.

Verdict: Go.

Tyree Jackson TE 2022 Salary $755,100:

Jackson only had 3 catches for 22 yards this year. He is the Eagles 3rd string TE and likely will have a salary close to what it was last year. I am sure he can be replaced with a similar or maybe better player for a little higher salary but my thought here is they keep him as a cheap depth guy that knows the system and can be developed.

Verdict: Stay.

Chauncey Gardner-Johnson Safety 2022 Salary $826,025:

Chauncey will get a significant increase in salary this year. He tied for the lead in interceptions despite missing several games this year. He was a key cog for the Eagles and established himself as an above average Safety in this league. He is expected to make $13.3 Million per year. The Eagles are rumored to want to do everything they can to keep him including using the franchise tag. I don’t think it will come to that. I think they get a multiyear deal done. They should.

Verdict: Stay.

Ricky Lovato Long Snapper 2022 Salary $990,000:

You don’t hear Lovato’s name much on the Eagles. He literally has one job (well two as he has to block after the long snap). Any time you don’t hear about the long snapper you assume he is doing a good job and the team is comfortable with him. I would assume the Eagles would want to keep him and would be able to do so at around the Million dollar salary that he is making now.

Verdict: Stay.

Miles Sanders RB 2022 Salary $1,337,544:

Sanders is projected to get $7.2 Million per year deal on his next contract. He had a stellar start to the year and was one of the best in the league through the first 12 or so games. Then he sort of fell off in the last few games of the regular season and that carried over into the playoffs, where his fellow RBs Gainwell and Scott collectively out produced him. This is said to be a good draft for RBs so I can see the Eagles using one of their top 4 picks in the first 3 rounds to draft his replacement and get a cheaper, younger replacement and may not miss him all that much.

Verdict: Go.

Zach Pascal WR 2022 Salary $1,500,000:

Head Coach Nick Sirianni seems to love the guy. He may not have caught a ton of passes, 15 for 150 yards and a TD and 3 for 15 yards in the post season. He does a lot of little things in blocking and I assume is a good special team’s player. If they can bring him back for somewhere in the Million to Million and a half range next year, which I assume they can then he will be back.

Verdict: Stay.

Boston Scott RB 2022 Salary $1,750,000:

We already said the Eagles will not resign Miles Sanders. They won’t want to have to replace 2 of their 3 RBs, unless you feel good about Trey Sermon. I personally would prefer Scott. He is projected to make $1.1 Million a year on his next contract. I think that works for the Eagles.

Verdict: Stay.

Linval Joseph DT 2022 Salary $2,000,000:

Joseph was a mid season acquisition to help with some injuries and stop the bleeding of a leaky run defense. It worked out pretty well for them. He is the first of FOUR DTs that are free agents. But again 2 were signed mid season, so how many do they really need? Joseph is 34 years old. If you can get him for a Million or something close to that you can bring him back. I think that is what happens here as a depth guy.

Verdict: Stay.

Ndamukong Suh DT 2022 Salary $2,000,000:

Suh was the other DT acquisition in the middle of the year and the 2nd of the 4 DTs on the list of free agents. Between him and Joseph I feel they keep one of the two. I think they should be offered similar deals but Suh being 36 is 2 years older and for that reason only I say they try to make it work with Joseph before Suh.

Verdict: Go.

TJ Edwards LB 2022 Salary $2,200,000:

Edwards led the Eagles in tackles last year and the Eagles do seem to value LBs more than they had in the past. They would really like to keep him. They will do everything they can to do so. But he is expected to make $12 Million per year on his next contract and with the Eagles cap situation and some of the other needs; I think they get last year’s polarizing rookie Nakobe Dean in to take his place on a much cheaper deal. This one is the first that hurts a bit and will be unpopular but it is what it is.

Verdict: Go. 

Kyzir White: LB 2022 Salary $3,000,000:

White was one of the few free agents from last year that weren’t a slam dunk. He was…ok last year. He is still due a pay raise. He is projected to make $8.6 Million next year. If this is truly how much he will fetch I don’t see them keeping him either. If they can’t draft one then they will look for a cheaper option via free agency or a trade.

Verdict: Go.

Andre Dillard OT 2022 Salary $3,092,646:

Dillard was a first round draft pick that struggled out of the gate then had some injuries. From their Jordan Milata became one of the premier left tackles in the game. Dillard was a nice insurance policy for a couple years but now I am sure he wants a chance to start elsewhere and someone will give him that chance.

Verdict: Go.

Issac Seumalo OG 2022 Salary $5,306,000:

Man, this is a tough one. I really want to find a way to keep Seumalo. He was a key cog of the best O line in football. He protects the MVP runner up in Jalen Hurts and they don’t have a greet replacement for him in the works unless the next guy on the list is retained. At minimum it will severely impact the depth.  That $12.1 Million expected salary is going to be tough though. Especially on a multiyear deal. I think the Eagles again look to the draft (long term), or free agent or trade for a short term solution. 

Verdict: Go. 

James Bradberry CB 2022 Salary $7,250,000:

Deep sigh, another tough decision. Bradberry was awesome, bogus Superbowl call aside he was phenomenal. He is 29 so you wonder if he plays at this level throughout his next contract. I think he might be worth the contract but feel you can only keep on between him and Gardner Johnson and I went Gardner Johnson. I think the biggest reason that I am ok letting Bradberry go is because the use their first or likely 2nd first rounder in the draft they get his replacement. There are 3 top tier ones to choose from that hopefully can slide in at a cheaper salary that is under control for 4 to 5 years, if they use the early first rounder on a CB, but some with only a slight downgrade if they use the 2nd of their first rounder’s on them. The only way I see the keeping him is if they trade the other CB Slay to shed that salary and get more draft compensation.

Verdict: Go.

Jason Kelce C 2022 Salary $9,000,000:

Kelce is a legend here. There could be a need for him in the short term and he may be ok to come back on another on year deal where they continue to replenish the cupboard with another 2nd round OL pick in this year’s draft. It’s really up to him. I think he gets something similar to the $9,000,000 he got this year. I feel like each year he is going to retire and part of me feel like this is the year. But if they lose Seumalo they may beg him to come back and being the legend he is, he may give it a go once more. Last year’s second round pick Cam Jurgens steps in at guard for a year and they groom a draft pick this year and do not have a problem like this next year.

Verdict: Stay.

Javon Hargraves DT 2022 Salary $13,000,000:

Javon is now 30 years old and might be heading towards the downside of his career. There could be a DT worth taking to replace him with one of the first two draft picks and one could argue you may consider that even if you do sign him. He is slated to fetch $20 Million a year. But it just seems like it’d be too much to lose him and Cox (spoiler alert on him). I just think there will be teams that have more financial cap flexibility that feel they need him more and he will get paid. It will be maybe the toughest loss from this entire list.

Verdict: Go.

Brandon Graham DE 2022 Salary $13,333,333:

Brandon Graham despite coming back from an injury and being almost 35 years old is still producing. He has been an Eagle for life and made probably the biggest play in the Eagles history. I’d love to find a way to keep him here. Like Kelce and Cox he should not wear any other jersey. But…the Eagles just can’t afford to do the sentimental thing here. However if looking at the calculated market values I’ve been using throughout this article from spotrac.com he is slated to make $6.8 Million dollars. If he is over $13 million less on the books then Hargraves, then the Eagles should go that route and keep Graham. There is a DE from Clemson and another from Texas Tech I had the Eagles targeting in the draft, but maybe they stick with my original plan and draft a corner with their early first rounder and keep Graham in midnight green. It may make sense financially and from a fandom standpoint.

Verdict: Stay.

Robert Quinn DE 2022 Salary $14,000,000

The Eagles traded for Quinn in the middle of the year to be another disruptive defense end. He had 18.5 sacks in 2021. He started slow in 2022 and Chicago was already trending to be a bad team so a trade made sense for both teams. Quinn ended up getting hurt and it ended up being a disaster. The Eagles gave up a 4th round pick for his services for half the year which totaled 6 games and 2 tackles with 3 games played and 2 more tackles in the postseason. He’s had an up and down career so at almost 33 is he cooked or does he bounce back. Let someone else find out.

Verdict: Go.

Fletcher Cox DT 2022 Salary $14,000,000

I have the Eagles going the sentimental route due to needs and it makes sense financially with Kelce and Graham. Cox at 32 has already shown signs of being on the downside of his career and one could argue the $14 million was a mistake to pay him this year. He is slated to make something similar to that again next year. So yes that is 3 and possibly 4 total DTs that the Eagles could lose this year. They still have production in their 3rd rounder from a few years back in Milton Williams and want to showcase last year’s first rounder in Jordan Davis though. Also in this scenario where the Eagles keep Brandon Graham they could take a DT instead of a DE in the draft. Hoping Kancey from Pitt is available or Ika from Baylor or Mazi Smith from Michigan should be available with their late first rounder(or with a slight trade back)  then picking up a less expensive option up in free agency would be a downgrade at the position but still be average to above average around the league.

Verdict: Go.

So there you have it. The final tally is 12 to go and 8 to stay. The 8 that stay make up somewhere around $33 Million add in draft picks and you may need about $40 Million this year. I can see this happening by restructuring contracts like Darius Slay and Lane Johnson, and severing ties with a few others like Greg Ward, Quez Watkins, and/or some of the lower end offensive and defensive linemen.  It’s not as bad as it sounds though. The 12 leaving could be replaced by 6 or 7 of last years and this year’s first through 3rd round draft picks. They have the luxury of 2 second rounder’s next year as well, thank you Howie to help them out of a jam then as well. Upon which most of the $41 million under the cap next year not kicked down the road to Slay and Johnson will go directly to Hurts. They will need more but that is where more restructuring of guys like AJ brown come into play, but I am getting ahead of myself. Shoot me some comments and let me know where you agree or disagree, keeping the cap in mind of course.