After an incredible run through the NFC East to win their second Super Bowl Championship since February of 2018, the Philadelphia Eagles are set to undertake the most challenging task in professional football: a Lombardi Trophy defense.
That's right, while winning the Super Bowl is certainly hard, as there are 12 teams that have never accomplished the feat to this day, actually defending the title is tricky business, as over the last 59 seasons, only nine teams have repeated as Champs.
15.2 percent? Goodness, those are some harrowing odds.
Fortunately, in 2024, the Eagles didn't win the Super Bowl by making high-leverage trades, sabotaging their cap with insane dead money, or shipping out all of their draft picks, but instead through a complex series of moves that largely just seemed to click. From signing Saquon Barkley for WR2 money to getting All-Pro play from Zack Baun at a brand new position and securing the top-2 cornerbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Eagles were able to land far more hits than misses, with Bryce Huff's contract the lone negative mark on the offseason.
Will the Eagles lose some of their core from Super Bowl 59 next month when free agency opens up? Yes, they have four top starters who are set to hit the open market – Baun, Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, and Mekhi Becton – and general consensus states that at least two of those players are going to be playing elsewhere come September. Fortunately, when one door closes, another opens, and if the Eagles do lose an outside linebacker, a defensive end, a guard, or even a starting linebacker heading into the spring, they can hope to find the next Baun-style score in free agency. As arguably the hottest free-agent destinations this offseason for veterans looking to win now and developmental players who want to grow in one of the NFL's best systems, the Eagles have a chance to do it all again if they play their cards right.
1. Josh Uche
There was a time in the not-too-distant past when Josh Uche was one of the hottest young pass rushers in the NFL.
A second-round pick out of Michigan by the New England Patriots in 2020, Uche flourished as an outside linebacker/edge rusher under Bill Belichick, recording 63 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and 18.5 sacks despite never playing more than 38 percent of the team's snaps.
Despite having interest outside of the team when he first hit free agency last spring, Uche opted to stick around in New England, noting to reporters last year that he really believed in the Patriots' vision under Jerod Mayo.
“The Patriots were the organization that gave me a chance in the NFL,” Uche said via NFL.com. “It's like family. It feels like home, and there's nowhere else I'd rather be than home. So I think that was my main reason — loyalty, family, and love.
“Coach (Jerod) Mayo is developing a lot of tough young men, and I feel like it's something I just want to continue to be a part of. I think it's just going to be great. I think the future is bright. I'm just happy to be home and get back to doing what I do best.”
Unfortunately for Uche, the Patriots didn't feel the same way.
Despite trading away Matthew Judon in August, the collegiate Wolverine only played 162 defensive snaps before being traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, where he logged exactly 87 defensive snaps in the regular season. He was inactive for the Chiefs' playoff run plus the Super Bowl, and ultimately heads into free agency with his value at an all-time low.
Could Uche look to sign with the best teams in the NFL and join a young edge rotation with Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt while hopefully shooting for another 11.5 sack season? If no one else is particularly interested in his services, such a pairing feels on the money.
2. Calais Campbell
Calais Campbell is old.
How old? Well, despite being noticeably younger than Vic Fangio, Campbell is older than departing offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, older than every active player on the Eagles' roster, and older than the trio of Fletcher Cox, Jason Kelce, and Brandon Graham, who all retired over the past 12 months.
He has been in the NFL since 2008, when the Miami product was drafted in the second round by the Arizona Cardinals, and yet, despite holding the honor of being the oldest defensive player in the league, Campbell still played 615 snaps for the Miami Dolphins or 58 percent of their defensive plays.
Assuming Campbell still wants to play in the NFL this season, which remains up in the air, Campbell could immediately slot into the defensive end spot vacated by Milton Williams if he leaves in free agency and make an impact next to Jalen Carter, both in base package sets with Jordan Davis slotted between them, or as a subpackage rusher where his massive size could help to secure a few more one-on-ones for the All-Pro tackle out of Georgia.
Will Fangio continue to play Carter 60, 70, or even 80 percent of the Eagles' defensive snaps, even if the Eagles can bring in a player like Campbell? Yes, he probably will. But hey, Campbell could eat up snaps while allowing players like Davis, Moro Ojomo, and any additional rookies to come along without having too big of a weight on their shoulders to contribute right away. Considering Carter's ceiling, adding a mentor like Campbell in place of BG could pay dividends long-term.
Bonus: Evan Neal
All right, technically, Evan Neal isn't a free agent just yet. He's still under contract for one more season with the New York Giants, and no matter how they address free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft, the Alabama product could absolutely stick in East Rutherford for the final season of his rookie deal.
And yet, after playing some pretty horrible football for the Giants in 2024 and only appearing in nine games at his usual right tackle spot, it's safe to assume Neal isn't in New York's plans long-term moving forward.
Enter the Eagles, who have had incredible success enrolling reclamation projects like Fred Johnson and Becton at Jeff Stoutland University. Since coming over to Philadelphia from Alabama under Chip Kelly, Stoutland has consistently helped the Eagles have one of the best rushing games in the NFL, with his ability to coach up linemen becoming legendary with even casual fans. With Becton likely set to leave Philadelphia for an opportunity to start at tackle on a much more lucrative contract, if Neal does get released from his deal, don't be surprised if Howie Roseman swoops in to secure the Alabama product's services.
Standing 6-foot-7, 340 pounds, Neal has all of the athletic abilities to play either offensive tackle or guard at the NFL level; he just doesn't seem to have the technique or coaching needed to live up to the potential that made him a top-7 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Give Stoutland a chance to get his hands on him, run him through a proper gauntlet at practice, and maybe even fill a reserve role in 2025 if he doesn't get released until late, and don't be surprised if Neal is challenging Tyler Steen for a starting spot at right guard with long-term eyes for Lane Johnson's spot in the future.
If Stoutland can make Neal into a player, Jeffrey Laurie might as well commission his Hall of Fame bust while he's still drawing up running plays on the Lincoln Financial Field sidelines.
