June 10, 2023
The Eagles don't really have much room for anymore free agents — aside from perhaps a depth signing at linebacker. Which is a sign of how loaded Philly's roster is. But there are some extremely talented free agents left on the market and many of them would improve any team's depth chart.
DeAndre Hopkins and Dalvin Cook are the headliners, and there are a ton of good players at nearly every position.
Since OTAs are over and the football calendar is bare, why not have a thought experiment — would a team of all the best players currently without a job be a playoff team?
Here's what an All-free agent lineup would look like:
Position | Starter | Backup | 3rd string |
Quarterback | Teddy Bridgewater | Carson Wentz | Matt Ryan |
Running back | Dalvin Cook | Ezekiell Elliott | Leonard Fournette Kareem Hunt |
Wide receiver | DeAndre Hopkins | Kenny Golladay | Julio Jones |
Slot receiver | Jarvis Landry | ||
Tight end | MyCole Pruitt | Maxx Williams | |
Left tackle | Taylor Lewan | Eric Fisher | |
Left guard | Dalton Risner | Gabe Jackson | |
Center | Ben Jones | Billy Price | |
Right guard | Trai Turner | A.J. Cann | |
Right tackle | George Fant | Michael Schofield |
The skill players are actually elite and still in their prime. There aren't really any flashy tight end free agents available but the offensive line isn't bad and this is a team that could move the football — if it can stay healthy.
Position | Starter | Starter | Backup |
Defensive tackle | Dawuane Smoot | Chris Wormley | Matt Ioannitis Shelby Harris |
Edge rusher | Jadeveon Clowney | Yannick Ngakoue | Trey Flowers Justin Houston |
Outside linebacker | Jaylon Smith | Kwon Alexander | Kyle Van Noy |
Inside linebacker | Rashaan Evans | Zach Cunningham | |
Cornerback | Marcus Peters | Ronald Darby | Byron Jones |
Safety | Adrian Amos | John Johnson | Andrew Adams |
The defense isn't as good as the offense, but there are some potent pass rushers (we didn't even include Melvin Ingram with the edge players) and the cornerbacks have a track record of being pretty NFL starters.
Overall, the assembled free agents of the NFL could probably make a push for a Wildcard spot, no? Maybe 8 or 9 wins depending on if they stay healthy and on the strength of schedule?
With about a month and a half until training camps begin, many if not all of these players should find homes and many will probably be forced to take a discount to do so.
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