The Eagles started the NFL’s free-agent frenzy with some notable subtractions. Howie Roseman and Co. have a few ways to regroup.

Following the first day of the NFL’s free-agent negotiating period on Monday, the Eagles have a 6-foot-5, 263-pound hole to fill on defense.

Jaelan Phillips, the soon-to-be-27-year-old edge rusher, reportedly agreed to terms with the Carolina Panthers on a four-year, $120 million deal ($80 million guaranteed) roughly 40 minutes after the negotiating period began.

While Phillips had been one of the Eagles’ priorities among their 19 pending unrestricted free agents, his value on the open market was evidently enormous, as he became No. 8 on the list of the NFL’shighest-paid edge rushers on an annual basis at $30 million per year.

» READ MORE: 2026 Eagles free agency tracker: All the Birds’ signings, trades, and other roster moves

That average annual value ranks behind the San Francisco 49ers’ Nick Bosa ($34 million) and the Baltimore Ravens’ Maxx Crosby ($35.5 million), and ahead of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Josh Hines-Allen ($28.3 million) and the New York Giants’ Brian Burns ($28.2 million), according to Over The Cap.

The guaranteed money in Phillips’ new contract — the most important aspect of the deal — is sizable. His reported $80 million guaranteed is the ninth-most among edge rushers.

The Eagles, who have multiple young defensive players eligible for extensions this offseason and beyond, likely wouldn’t match those figures.

Later on Monday, a more expected defensive departure occurred, with linebacker Nakobe Dean agreeing to terms with the Las Vegas Raiders on a three-year, $36 million deal. Reed Blankenship also reportedly agreed to terms with the Houston Texans on a three-year, $24.8 million contract.

Now, with three former defensive starters exiting, the Eagles have more decisions looming in just about every corner of the roster.

While the Eagles weren’t expected to fork over that kind of contract to Phillips, they will miss him nonetheless.

In a span of seven games following his trade-deadline acquisition from the Miami Dolphins, Phillips quickly assimilated into Vic Fangio’s defense — and the Eagles locker room. He generated just two sacks during his time in Philadelphia, but he led the team with 34 pressures dating back to Week 10.

Phillips also shouldered a heavy workload in the rotation, playing 78% of the defensive snaps.

The Eagles were always going to need to add edge rushers this offseason, both in the draft and in free agency. But Phillips’ departure makes the need for an impact edge rusher all the more immediate, given that Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt are the only players at the position under contract for 2026 who were on the active roster last season.

Still, it might not benefit Roseman to spend big in free agency in general. While the Eagles gave up a 2026 third-rounder in the trade for Phillips, they could gain a 2027 third-round draft pick via the compensatory system if they do not sign a free agent of similar contractual value this offseason.

» READ MORE: How Jaelan Phillips’ and Alec Pierce’s obscene paydays affect A.J. Brown’s future with the Eagles

One free-agent option who could intrigue the Eagles — and wouldn’t offset Phillips’ departure in the compensatory pick formula — is former Dolphins edge rusher Bradley Chubb. Fangio has an extensive history with Chubb, who turns 30 in June, both with the Denver Broncos from 2019 to 2021 and the Dolphins in 2023.

Chubb missed the entire 2024 season due to a torn ACL sustained late in 2023. But he stayed healthy last season, playing all 17 games (72% of the defensive snaps) and recording 8½ sacks. The Dolphins released him on Feb. 16, so he is available immediately to sign a new contract before the start of the new league year on Wednesday.

Additionally, by letting Phillips walk, the Eagles could turn their attention to other players up for extensions or other pending free agents. Besides Jordan Davis, whom the Eagles rewarded with a three-year extension on Saturday, Smith, Jalen Carter, and Moro Ojomo are all eligible for extensions this offseason. Howie Roseman will eventually need to make decisions on Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and Hunt, too.

Who could the Eagles attempt to retain among their own pending free agents? With Dean and Blankenship off the board as well, perhaps the Eagles could shift their focus to tight end Dallas Goedert, especially given the lack of depth on the roster at the position.

The Eagles will also have to address their wide receiver depth this offseason, regardless of A.J. Brown’s future with the team. Jahan Dotson, the team’s third receiver for the last two seasons, is reportedly bound for the Atlanta Falcons on a two-year, $15 million contract ($10 million guaranteed).

Dotson, who turns 26 later this month, had some notable moments in an Eagles uniform, including his pair of receptions for 42 yards in Super Bowl LIX. However, he made a marginal impact during the regular season, finishing his 34-game stint with the Eagles with 37 receptions for 478 yards and a touchdown.

» READ MORE: Howie Season begins today. It’s his toughest one yet, for three big reasons.

The Eagles could stand to add to the receivers room through the draft, looking to balance out the big contracts due its young defensive stars with offensive players on rookie deals. But there are a number of pending-free-agent wide receivers that could make sense to sign to short-term, cost-effective deals, too.

Among them is Christian Kirk, the 29-year-old receiver who has seen his last two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans marred by injury. But Kirk reminded the league of his potential in the postseason, posting eight receptions for 144 yards and a touchdown in the Texans’ wild-card win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Kirk, or someone of his ilk, could be a candidate for a one-year deal this offseason while the Eagles simultaneously add through the draft. Spotrac projects Kirk’s next contract at one year, $5.4 million, while Pro Football Focus estimates his value at one year, $4.8 million.

In an effort to free up salary-cap space in 2026, defensive back Michael Carter II signed a renegotiated contract with the Eagles, a league source confirmed to The Inquirer on Monday.

Carter, 27, was originally set to have a $10.1 million cap hit this upcoming season, as he had signed a three-year, $30.8 million extension with the New York Jets, his former team, in 2025.

The Eagles acquired Carter from the Jets and a 2027 seventh-round pick ahead of the trade deadline in exchange for wide receiver John Metchie and a 2027 sixth-round pick. While Carter played just 41 defensive snaps with the Eagles through seven games going into the season finale, he provided much-needed insurance at the cornerback position.

A renegotiated contract rather than a release shows that the Eagles still value what Carter brings to the room. His positional versatility is particularly important, as he has experience at both cornerback positions (primarily at nickel) and at safety.

» READ MORE: Report: Safety Reed Blankenship to sign three-year deal with Houston Texans

When Drew Mukuba went down in the Week 12 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Sydney Brown took his spot at safety, DeJean moved to outside cornerback, and Carter entered the game at slot corner. Fangio revealed in the aftermath of the game that in addition to serving as the backup nickel, Carter was the fourth-string safety.

Going into the weekend, the Eagles were sitting at approximately $13 million in cap space, according to Over The Cap. Now that the Eagles have signed Carter to a renegotiated deal and extended Davis on Saturday, that figure is likely greater, but the precise cap hits in 2026 for both Carter and Davis have not yet been revealed.

More cap space in the short term means the Eagles could have the potential to make additions in free agency.

As Brown’s future with the Eagles remains in question, the free-agent wide receiver market has already begun to thin.

Alec Pierce, who turns 26 in May, reportedly agreed to remain with the Indianapolis Colts on a four-year, $114 million deal on Monday. After the Dallas Cowboys placed the franchise tag on George Pickens last month, Pierce became the best free-agent receiver bound for the market, and the Colts paid him accordingly.

According to The Athletic, the New England Patriots were among the teams interested in Pierce. Yes, those are the same Patriots that have reportedly kicked the tires on a trade for Brown. Now that Pierce is unavailable, how might that impact the Patriots’ desire to get a deal done and their willingness give up the draft capital that Roseman seeks in return for Brown?

But a key question still remains: Are the Eagles prepared to take on an additional $25.5 million cap hit in 2026 by trading Brown before June 1?

Meanwhile, Pierce wasn’t the only highly coveted receiver to agree to terms on a new deal on Monday. Mike Evans, 32, is reportedly departing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after eight years, joining the San Francisco 49ers on a three-year, $60.4 million deal.

The top of the class is drying up. Among the next best free-agent receivers available going into the second day of the negotiating window are Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings.