Eagles free agency news: Birds, Saquon Barkley deny breaking tampering rules; updated salary cap numbers

Newly-signed edge rusher Bryce Huff has a chip on his shoulder that bears the weight of 32 NFL teams.

As a 2020 undrafted free agent out of Memphis, Huff signed with the New York Jets, working to prove the teams that passed on him wrong by showing that he was worthy of his place in the league. The 25-year-old edge rusher made a statement in 2023 when he led the Jets with 10 sacks, and the Eagles rewarded him with a three-year contract worth up to $51.1 million with $34.4 million guaranteed.

Saquon Barkley said he officially put pen to paper on Thursday afternoon, joining the Eagles after six seasons with the New York Giants. The former Penn State running back explained why he chose the Birds.

“When it came to my attention that the Eagles were one of the teams that were interested in me, I definitely go excited about it,” Barkley told the media. “… From watching from afar, everything that they’re about, the culture here, the fans here, I definitely got super excited about it and I’m happy to be a part of this organization and I’m ready to go.”

We’re on day four of free agency, but there are still a number of top NFL players available. That includes former Broncos safety Justin Simmons, who has experiencing playing in new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's system.

Here are a handful of the best free agents still on the market as of Thursday afternoon, according to ESPN's rankings, along with the team they played for last season:

The NFL is looking into the Eagles’ negotiation process with Saquon Barkley for potential tampering, according to a league source, confirming several media reports on Thursday.

The subject of the investigation surrounds whether Eagles general manager Howie Roseman had contact with the star running back during the league’s negotiation window earlier this week, contact that would have been impermissible as team executives are only permitted to speak with players’ representatives unless a player doesn’t have an agent.

The Eagles have submitted two playing rule proposals, one bylaw proposal, and one resolution proposal ahead of the annual league meeting from March 24-27 in Orlando.

Those proposals will be discussed and voted on for approval by the league’s owners.

Jack Stoll is free to sign with whatever team he wants.

The Eagles didn't re-sign their backup tight end by the start of free agency, which was Wednesday at 4 p.m. As a result, Stoll is now an unrestricted free agent free to sign elsewhere, according to the Inquirer's Jeff McLane.

Even after adding Saquon Barkley, the Eagles have plenty of cap space to sign more players.

The Eagles are $39.9 million under the 2024 salary cap, according to the number crunchers at Over the Cap. Barkley's cap hit in 2024 is only expected to be about $3.9 million, despite signing a three-year deal worth up to $37.75 million, with $26 million guaranteed.

Howie Season got off to a rousing start. In the first three days of free-agent courtship, Howie Roseman extended the contract of his best young offensive lineman. He signed the most exciting young pass rusher on the market. He broke from his pattern and committed big money to a big back. Then he corrected his biggest mistake of 2023.

Now that the euphoria of spending money has receded, it’s proper to consider the real value of the investments, and to ask:

The Eagles took in the new league year with the familiar resolution of reworking a thin linebacking corps.

In the two days of legal tampering leading up to the start of the new league year on Wednesday, the market for off-ball linebackers was particularly active. Several free-agent linebackers, including Patrick Queen and Frankie Luvu, signed multiyear contracts with new teams, but the Eagles are still in need of at least one proven player to pair with Nakobe Dean on the depth chart.

The Eagles entered the NFL’s free agency period several holes to fill and more than 20 players set to hit the market.

Here are the players the Eagles plan to add: