March 28, 2026
Colleen Claggett/For PhillyVoice
What grades did Howie Roseman's free agency get from national sports outlets?
Now that we're a few weeks removed from the start of NFL free agency, let's take a look around and see how some of the national media types graded the Philadelphia Eagles.
(We gave them a C, in case you missed that.)
Somehow, Howie Roseman will still get an A+ from some graders. The Eagles mostly sat out the first phase of free agency, with cornerback Tariq Woolen becoming the only significant outside signing so far, while losing three good players off the defense in edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, linebacker Nakobe Dean and safety Reed Blankenship. It’s prudent, and signing defensive tackle Jordan Davis to a three-year, $78 million extension was better than just about any outside free agent. But the salary cap exists, and the Eagles are having to slow down their spending. Losing good players is never enjoyable.
#JimmySays: I love when people will proclaim, "Other idiots will [do this or that]," and nobody does.
The losses are significant, but the Woolen addition on a one-year deal is a fantastic value. He's a physical marvel at the cornerback position, and Vic Fangio could get him playing at an even higher level with regular play time. He and Quinyon Mitchell at outside corner should be a lot of fun. Re-signing Goedert made plenty of sense for all parties involved. Yes, there's A.J. Brown trade rumors, but when hasn't that been the case of late? It's appearing more and more likely he'll be an Eagle once again in 2026 the further away we get from free agency.
#JimmySays: It doesn't look like Brown will be an Eagle in 2026.
Their most notable move came with the addition of cornerback Riq Woolen, a fresh Super Bowl champion who immediately upgrades the secondary with his length and playmaking ability.
Beyond that headline signing, Philadelphia has mostly focused on depth pieces. Pass rusher Arnold Ebiketie was brought in to help stabilize the defensive front, while tight end Johnny Mundt joins the offense as a complementary option behind Dallas Goedert, who recently secured a return to Philadelphia on a new deal. Another key retention was defensive tackle Jordan Davis. Keeping Davis in the middle of the defensive line ensures Philadelphia maintains a powerful interior presence.
Despite those signings, the Eagles have taken some significant hits on defense. The unit lost multiple pass rushers in free agency, along with linebacker Nakobe Dean and safety Reed Blankenship. Those departures leave noticeable gaps in a defense that has long relied on depth and rotation along the front seven.
#JimmySays: The "multiple pass rushers" are Jaelan Phillips, Azeez Ojulari, and Josh Uche. I think they could've just said Jaelan Phillips here.
But certainly, the point is well taken that they lost three defensive starters after losing Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, Darius Slay, and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson a year ago.
Losing Phillips hurt, but EVP/GM Howie Roseman couldn’t match Carolina’s largesse. But the acclaimed exec did make some typical Roseman moves – extending DT Jordan Davis while signing good players (CB Riq Woolen, WR Hollywood Brown, OLB Arnold Ebiketie) at something of a discount. Keeping TE Dallas Goedert was also a win. But hard to judge the plan here holistically until/unless the A.J. Brown situation is finally resolved, which may not be before June 1 due to cap ramifications ... if at all.
#JimmySays: I considered giving the Eagles an "incomplete" for the same reason, but concluded that that would be lame after slapping a D on the Commanders.
The Eagles were expecting to see Dean, Phillips and Blankenship leave the defense but it was still significant for Vic Fangio's defense. GM Howie Roseman, however, still came up with a top big-play cornerback to help Quinyon Mitchell and slot ace Cooper DeJean.
#JimmySays: Well, I'm not so sure they were expecting to lose Phillips. They very much made efforts to keep him, and I don't think anyone saw Phillips getting $30 million per year. (Honestly, it's worse that Phillips was in the Eagles' plans and they lost him anyway, because now they're forced to pivot.)
Woolen is coming off the lowest-graded season of his four-year NFL career to date but has always been a bit of a boom-or-bust player. He has recorded 50 combined pass breakups and interceptions in four seasons but has also surrendered 20 touchdowns and committed 35 penalties in that span.
Although Ebiketie never became a dominant pass-rusher for the Falcons, he still contributed positively in the team’s rotation. Ebiketie’s pass-rushing metrics improved every season since 2023, culminating in a 73.4 PFF pass-rush grade and 16.8% pass-rush win rate in 2025. Although Ebiketie may not become Philadelphia’s primary starter at edge defender, he should offer high-upside depth without major financial commitments.
#JimmySays: I'm not sure if the sentiment above is that Woolen is an overrated signing and Ebiketie is an underrated one, but if so, I agree.
I loved: How general manager Howie Roseman walked the line of an A.J. Brown trade. He kept his asking price high and kept the cap open by delaying Goedert's void date, which centralized Brown in the WR trade market. Although no deal got done, the Broncos-Dolphins Jaylen Waddle trade certainly strengthened the Eagles' case for getting a first-round pick for Brown (who is only a year older than Waddle).
We'll wait to see which teams remain in need of a star receiver after June 1, when the cap hit of a Brown trade becomes far more palatable. The hay isn't in the barn yet -- the Eagles still need a dance partner come June. But Roseman is playing this well.
I didn't love: The lack of moves at safety. The Eagles lost Reed Blankenship -- who has been a paragon of availability -- and made no major moves to replace him. They even traded away backup Sydney Brown to the Falcons for a paltry rise in draft capital. Veteran Marcus Epps returns on a one-year deal to start beside rising sophomore Andrew Mukuba, with only career special-teamers and potential nickel-to-safety converts on the depth chart behind them. This is one of the worst safety rooms in football as it currently stands, and it's not a position to take lightly in a Vic Fangio defense.
#JimmySays: I agree with everything my friend Ben wrote about the Eagles, but obviously, the roster got worse this offseason.
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