I was talking to a casual Philadelphia Eagles fan the other day. That is if there is such a thing. I'm just telling you how he described himself. Frankly, I've never known a Birds fan to view anything casually. We bleed green. There is only one way to love this team, unconditionally...
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But anyway, I digress. Here's the point. While speaking with him, he asked me what there is to talk about now that the Eagles have won the Super Bowl, cleaned out their lockers, and thrown a parade.
That's when it hit me... This dude might be from another planet. I told him the fun is just beginning. Another NFL Scouting Combine Approaches. Then we turn the calendar from February to March and begin discussing the 'free-agency frenzy'.
The five most important decisions the Eagles must make during free agency this offseason.
The Birds have some work to do this offseason, don't they? They must replace Kellen Moore and make tweaks to their 2025 roster. The new League Year and Free Agency signing period begins at 4:00 p.m. EST on March 12. 18 Eagles including Brandon Graham, who we expect to retire, are impending free agents. Again, there is much to discuss.
Free agents aren't created equally. Philly won't stress over Ben VanSumeren to the degree that they will ponder the future of Zack Baun. Speaking of the latter, he headlines a handful of decisions that rank as the most important the Birds have to make during free agency.
1. The Zack Baun conundrum
What a dream this guy is living, huh? From relative unknown to Pro Bowler and First-Team All-Pro, Zack Baun is on fire and, dare we say, white hot!
Vic Fangio did what coaches are supposed to do. He got the most out of his players and put them into the best position to be successful.
Baun led the Eagles in tackles (151) and posted the second-highest coverage grade in the NFL this season according to Pro Football Focus. Don't take our word for it. Read 'em and weep!
Extending Baun is, without question, Philly's most important task this offseason. There are no surprises he tops this list.
2. Weighing whether or not to keep Milton Williams in the nest
Milton Williams might be the most underappreciated players on Philly's roster, but it's easy to be overlooked when your defense is STACKED at the position he plays. Moro Ojomo was a nice late-round find. The Eagles invested first-round capital on the interior of the defensive line in back to back NFL Drafts.
Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis are the results of the latter decision. There may not be a better rotation in all of pro football. Williams can ball. He can also play both inside and out on the D-line. We'd rank him as the second most important piece for Philly to retain.
3. Should Philly participate in a Josh Sweat bidding war?
This one could rank third or fourth depending on what day it is and when you ask us this question. Today, we rank a possible Josh Sweat bidding war at number three.
Sweaty is so likeable. He's also arguably the most inconsistent starter on the Philadelphia Eagles' roster. When he is hot, he is hot though, and he's going to get paid this season.
The question is will that payday be handed to him in the City of Brotherly Love.
4. Mekhi Becton's potential continuing tenure
Mekhi Becton filled out a change-of-address form this offseason and left the lowly New York Jets to join the Eagles' offensive line. Now what?
As is the case with the Josh Sweat question, we could swap this one between the third and fourth highest-priority extension. Today, it's fourth and here's are reason for doing so.
Philly won't be able to hold on to everyone, and they're already paying a fortune to Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, and the legend, Lane Johnson. Tyler Steen isn't as good as Becton, but the former is still playing on his rookie deal. So is Cam Jurgens and Trevor Keegan.
Philly is also home to football's top offensive line coach. He'll make things work with whatever he is given. Yes, Becton is a priority. We just believe there are three others that are more pressing.
5. It isn't a sexy move, but the Eagles MUST retain their long snapper.
No one cares about the long snapper, but you have to have one. Just ask any NFL team dissatisfied with their guy.
Rick Lovato is as good as they come. Mentioning this position on a list like this isn't sexy, but it's a necessary move.
The Birds will also have to make decisions about everyone from Kenneth Gainwell and Oren Burks to Britain Covey and Fred Johnson, but none of those guys are as important to this team as Rick Lovato is.
He won't break the bank. Getting his extension done will be easy. Most importantly, Howie Roseman won't overpay here as he'll conserve resources to make other additions.
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