March 12, 2026
Colleen Claggett/for PhillyVoice
Howie Roseman is the king of the 1-year deal in free agency, but many of them don't pan out.
The Eagles have a formula for how they approach free agency, one that overall has served them well. They and the Bills are the NFL's only teams to appear in the playoffs in each of the past five seasons. They've made two Super Bowls in that span, winning one of them.
Their strategy is to fill most immediate roster holes with free agents on short-term deals, mostly for one year, while they develop drafted prospects to eventually become starters. Occasionally, they splurge for a free agent who is either entering his second contract and can stick around to become part of the team's core, like Javon Hargrave in 2020, or a high-impact veteran from a position of modest market value, like Saquon Barkley in 2024.
Since winning their first Super Bowl in 2017 on the back of a mostly homegrown core supplemented by some impeccable short-term free-agent additions, the Eagles have maintained this bargain hunting approach. That team was fueled by some terrific short-term, low-cost signings, including WR Alshon Jeffery, NB Patrick Robinson, RB LeGarrett Blount, DE Chris Long and QB Nick Foles.
Roseman has since tried to replicate that success year after year, but more recently, his one-year deals haven't been as fruitful. Two of them, LB Zack Baun and OL Mekhi Becton, helped them win a Super Bowl in 2024. Much of that was luck, as neither was signed with the expectation of being a starter.
Missing on many others has forced the Eagles into being more aggressive at the trade deadline, and some misses have likely prevented the Eagles from going even further in their season.
This offseason, the Eagles have already signed some free agents to one-year deals, with cornerback Riq Woolen being the headliner. Woolen, who just won a Super Bowl with Seattle, will be expected to start opposite Quinyon Mitchell – at least on nickel downs if not every down.
To go through every one-year deal the Eagles have signed over the past five seasons would be exhaustive and unnecessary; not every signing is intended to be a starter or role player. Some are just dart throws, others are camp bodies.
We looked more at the one-year deals over the past five seasons for free agents who were expected to start, like Woolen, or play a major role off the bench to see how they've panned out. We didn't include extensions given to in-house free agents or players signed to be camp bodies.
It's also important to note that, in general, one-year signings across the league are very hit or miss. But because the Eagles are committed to them than most, it was important to evaluate in retrospect how these free agent classes have performed.
Here's a year-by-year breakdown:
| Offense | Defense | Spec Teams |
| RB: AJ. Dillon OL: Kendall Lamm, Matt Pryor TE: Harrison Bryant, Kylen Granson WR: Terrace Marshall | EDGE Azeez Ojulari, Josh Uche CB Adoree' Jackson | LS Charley Hughlett RS Avery Williams |
Summary: This class had potential – including four former top-65 picks in Azeez Ojulari, Josh Uche, Terrace Marshall and A.J. Dillon – but didn't deliver. The failures of Kendall Lamm and Matt Pryor to provide solid OL depth came back to haunt the Eagles as the offense suffered all season from injuries up front. Lamm didn't even make the team, forcing the Eagles to reacquire OT Fred Johnson via trade. Pryor played 15 terrible snaps at RT in Week 3 against wasn't a factor for the rest of the season. The Eagles couldn't run the ball all season after having the top-ranked rushing offense in 2024 and scored just 19 points against a decimated Niners defense in a first-round playoff loss.
The defense eventually became very good but not because of Ojulari and Uche. The lack of an impact pass rush for most of the season forced Roseman to surrender a third-round pick for Jaelan Phillips and get Brandon Graham to un-retire.
The Eagles acted like Avery Williams was going to be some secret offensive weapon and lethal returner – the guy didn't even make the team. Injuries limited Hughlett to just eight games, and K Jake Elliott had a below-standard season.
| Offense | Defense |
| WR: Parris Campbell TE: C.J. Uzomah OL: Mekhi Becton, Matt Hennessy | LB: Zack Baun, Devin White, Oren Burks |
Summary: The Barkley splash and absolute luck of Zack Baun emerging into an overnight All-Pro saved this otherwise-meh free agent class. There weren't many signings but the misses on Matt Hennessy and Devin White were covered up by Baun and Becton emerging into starters. Oren Burks was a good depth piece who had to start the NFC championship and Super Bowl.
There's no way the Eagles finish with the No. 1 defense and win the Super Bowl without Baun, who was initially signed to be a special-teamer and maybe part of the edge rotation, or have the No. 1 rushing offense without Becton, a failed Jets first-round OT who had never RG before until Jeff Stoutland had the idea to move him there. The Birds didn't even sign him until after the draft.
The Eagles were fortunate their wide receivers stayed healthy after A.J. Brown missed Weeks 2-4 with a hamstring injury. They went 1-2 in that stretch and only scored 15 points in that win. Parris Campbell and C.J. Uzomah didn't make the initial 53-man roster. The inability of Campbell (and, to some extent, free agent flyer John Ross) to provide depth forced Roseman to fork over a third-round pick to Washington for Jahan Dotson.
| Offense | Defense |
| QB: Marcus Mariota RB: Rashaad Penny WR: DeVante Parker, Olamide Zaccheaus OL: Fred Johnson | CB: Greedy Williams S: Terrell Edmunds, Justin Evans LB: Nic Morrow, Zach Cunningham, Myles Jack DT: Kentavius Street |
Summary: An all-time abysmal flurry of one-year deals. S Terrell Edmunds was never a good fit for their scheme and his bad play forced Roseman to trade for Kevin Byard, who was average. Justin Evans, hurt for most of his career before coming to Philly, started the season ahead of Edmunds but his season ended after just five games because of injuries. Roseman had to sign veteran Bradley Roby off the scrap heap because Evans and Avonte Maddox were out for the long term.
Linebacker was a total mess. Roseman signed Zach Cunningham and Myles Jack in the middle of training camp when it obvious the Nakobe Dean-Nic Morrow tandem wouldn't be good enough. Jack retired two weeks later. Dean missed four of the first five games with an injury and then his season ended after Week 9 to undergo foot surgery. Cunningham and Morrow were abused by good offenses, most notably in a 42-19 loss to the 49ers that opened the door for their second-half implosion.
On offense, WR DeVante Parker retired before making it to training camp. RB Rashaad Penny collected dust all season on the bench. Olamide Zaccheaus was just OK as the No. 3 wideout.
Coming off a close Super Bowl loss, it's fair to wonder if this team had more potential had Roseman made better free agent moves and had Nick Sirianni promoted DBs coach Dennard Wilson to defensive coordinator instead of hiring Sean Desai.
| Offense | Defense |
| WR: Zach Pascal | LB: Kyzir White S: Jaquaski Tartt CB: James Bradberry |
Summary: Hard to judge this small class, as most of the signings weren't intended to be impactful. The Eagles went to the Super Bowl mainly because of a strong homegrown core and two Roseman trades that helped fill immediate holes – the draft-day deal to acquire superstar WR A.J. Brown and the shrewd late-August maneuver to get S C.J. Gardner-Johnson. The flyer on CB James Bradberry yielded an impressive return as the veteran made All Pro.
Roseman made two impactful one-year signings in the middle of the season, inking NT Linval Joseph and DT Ndamukong Suh to bolster their depth.
| Offense | Defense |
| QB: Joe Flacco RB: Jordan Howard TE: Richard Rodgers | S: Anthony Harris LB: Eric Wlson CB: Steven Nelson EDGE: Ryan Kerrigan |
Summary: The Eagles were basically starting over in Year 1 of Nick Sirianni and with Jalen Hurts as a first-time starting QB. They were taking a massive cap hit from the Carson Wentz trade and didn't sign a single free agent to a contract beyond one season, so it's hard to rip Roseman too much for the misfires. But there's no question the two free agents he signed to start on defense – Anthony Harris and Steven Nelson – just weren't good. Ryan Kerrigan, once a Pro Bowl EDGE for Washington, was cooked.
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