Eagles Getting Cleaned Out in Free Agency

Just over a Gregorian month has passed since the Philadelphia Eagles climbed to the apex of the National Football League. Yet, fans are already wary following a mass departure of free agents.

When the 2025 edition of NFL free agency began on March 10th, it was not expected that the Super Bowl LIX champions would be able to retain all of their talent. Skill overflowed the roster, now generally viewed as the greatest in franchise history. Seven farewells later, however, the apprehension surrounding the team has created waves in the media, leaving many wondering if Philadelphia can return to its dominant form.

The Casualties

Aside from the released James Bradberry IV, who tore his Achilles prior to the season, every player exiting Philadelphia contributed to its prosperity in 2024, and even more so in the playoffs. 

Defensive line anchors Milton Williams and Josh Sweat, who combined for 4.5 sacks in the Super Bowl, both leave the team that drafted them for gargantuan paydays elsewhere.

Veteran corners Darius Slay and Isaiah Rodgers have elected to find new starts. 

Mekhi Becton, a recent graduate of Jeff Stoutland University, earned himself $20 million and a California breeze after a breakout season. 

Even the loss of backup RB Kenneth Gainwell will leave a void in the hearts of Eagles fans. 

There exists more potential breakups on the rumor mill, surrounding players like Dallas Goedert and Bryce Huff. For Philadelphia fans, it feels more than reasonable to be concerned about the direction of a franchise bolted in contention over most of the last decade. But champions or not, an offseason like this was due for the Eagles. Ultimately, this is best for the franchise.

And believe it or not, General Manager Howie Roseman has a vision for the future of the Birds.

The Importance of Selective Retention

This is a fairly new concept in the modern age of the Philadelphia Eagles: they cannot afford to keep all their talent together.

Even with the salary cap mastermind that is Howie Roseman, the Eagles have reached a point where they are too talented. The franchise achieved this level of roster through bargain and development. 

Think back to a year ago, when Philadelphia acquired special teamer Zack Baun and a notorious bust in Becton. They also shelled out “significant” money for rival RB Saquon Barkley. Two years ago, they signed Isaiah Rodgers, who would miss the entire season for sports gambling violations. 

Each of these players is now worth much more than when they joined the Eagles, a testament to the franchise’s ability to work on a budget and squeeze the most out of every person in the building.

Bargaining applies to the draft as well. Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Jordan Davis, DeVonta Smith. These are all Eagles draft picks since 2021, and each player was drafted below their place in analyst Daniel Jeremiah’s annual draft rankings.

The aforementioned players, minus Becton, have all become cornerstones for the Birds, and have been, or will need to be, compensated accordingly. Next offseason, Carter and Nolan Smith are due for extensions. In the case of Carter, the Eagles need to clear the books, as he will likely become one of, if not the highest-paid, defensive player in the game.

Simply put, Philadelphia would have loved to run it back with the best roster in the team’s history. Financially, that’s not realistic. Selective retention will keep the necessities in house, but trimming the fat is a direct consequence.

Breakouts on the Horizon

The Eagles sedulously pull production and skill out of cheap athletes year in and year out, and that effort will continue in 2025. Even while being stripped of starters, several underrated signings have come for Philly in recent days. Still months away from the season, the team hopes that they have located more diamonds in the rough.

Losing two pass rushers simultaneously is difficult, but the signing of edge rusher Josh Uche will soften the blow. Uche agreed to a one-year deal worth roughly two million with Philadelphia in free agency.

According to PFF, Uche has the sixth-best pressure rate among edge defenders since 2022. While he hasn’t seen sack numbers in recent seasons, His 11.5 tally as a Patriot in 2022 sits as a standard that the Eagles are hoping to rediscover.