In the aftermath of their humiliating 32-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild
Card round, the Philadelphia Eagles will have a lot to consider this summer. They finished the regular season with an 11-6 record, having started the season with the best record in the league at 10-1. However, they faltered to a 1-5 record. That abrupt collapse culminated in a horrifying defeat to the Bucs, laying the groundwork for a very significant offseason of work.
Even though Philadelphia has what is perhaps the best roster in the NFL on paper, there are obvious gaps that must be filled if the team is to have any chance of becoming a legitimate Super Bowl contender again. The Eagles will have nine picks in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, four of which will be in the first three rounds, which is wonderful news. While general manager Howie Roseman has received praise for his skill in team construction and recent draft prowess, bringing in some youthful talent would undoubtedly be beneficial.
But with free agency approaching as well, Roseman will have to make a lot of difficult choices about the re-signing of important players. They have nineteen unrestricted free agents on their squad, including some very well-known players. From a strategic and financial standpoint, selecting which players to re-sign will not be simple, as Philadelphia currently ranks in the middle of the pack in terms of cap space available. In light of the huge names that will be available, let’s examine the essential players the Eagles must re-sign this summer in free agency.
Despite being a future Hall of Fame defensive lineman, Fletcher Cox was still an essential part of the Eagles interior defensive line in 2023, contributing five sacks, 33 tackles, 17 QB hits, three TFLs, and 49 pressures in just one season. As an experienced leader in the Philly locker room, he is extremely valuable and serves as a wonderful mentor to young defensive tackles Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter. The Eagles front office should have no trouble bringing him back, but there’s concern that he might have already played his last snap for the team.
Like Cox, Brandon Graham continues to be an important member of Philadelphia’s defense as he ages. Still a gifted sub package edge rusher, Graham provides Josh Sweat with valuable experience as a right-side mentor. In a supporting position, Graham finished the previous season with 16 tackles and three sacks, demonstrating that he has some remaining energy as he gets closer to turning 36. It’s reasonable to question if Graham would think about retiring at his age, but he’s already stated that he wants to make one more season. Graham is cheap and ought to be able to play his final games for the only team he has ever played for in the
Jason Kelce, an offensive captain and maybe the team’s most important player over the past ten years, is the last member of the Eagles Super Bowl 52 roster. One of the best offensive linemen in the NFL, Kelce is a potential Hall of Fame center. However, it appears that he will be retiring this summer, which is a major blow to Philly’s offensive line.
It would be fascinating to see what happens next from the Kelce family because he hasn’t explicitly stated he will retire, and his younger brother, star tight end Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, has intimated he might not be ready to hang up his cleats just yet.
