On defense, Eagles again could be looking for a safety
Howie Roseman is cautious about getting too excited over the Eagles' salary-cap space going into free agency, because he knows what's in some other teams' accounts.
Howie Roseman is cautious about getting too excited over the Eagles' salary-cap space going into free agency, because he knows what's in some other teams' accounts.
Roseman, the Eagles' executive vice president of football operations, has about $17 million in cap space at his disposal. The Eagles can start negotiating with any free agent on Monday, and players can sign elsewhere on Wednesday.
A portion of the money must be allocated to signing draft picks. The Eagles could always open more space by adjusting contracts or releasing or trading players in the next few days. But there are 20 teams with more money to spend, half of which have more than $40 million in salary-cap space.
"Have any of you guys seen what the rest of the league has?" Roseman said. "You always want more. But we'll deal with the reality of what we have, we'll make the best of it, and we'll do whatever we can to improve the team the rest of the offseason."
The Eagles are expected to be in the market for offensive linemen, which would leave limited resources to allocate elsewhere. Defensive players received the biggest free-agent contracts the last three seasons for the Eagles, but that could change this March.
Still, there are needs. Unless the Eagles re-sign Walter Thurmond before Wednesday, they will spend a third consecutive offseason searching for a starting safety.
After making safety Malcolm Jenkins and cornerback Byron Maxwell among the highest-paid players at their positions, it could be difficult for the Eagles to invest another big contract in the defensive backfield.
The top safety would have been Kansas City's Eric Berry, but the Chiefs used their franchise tag on him. Veteran Eric Weddle, a 31-year-old three-time Pro Bowler, is expected to move on from San Diego. He could also be too expensive for the Eagles.
Plus, Roseman prefers to target ascending players in their mid-20s. Although the price might be high, Cincinnati's George Iloka and Cleveland's Tashaun Gipson fit that profile.
Iloka, 26, is 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, and he can play both deep safety and in the box. He is expected to draw a big market after starting for the Bengals the last three seasons.
Gipson, 25, has 14 interceptions in four seasons - more than any defensive back on the Eagles. The 5-foot-11, 205-pound Wyoming product played on a second-round tender offer last season, but his performance dropped.
Los Angeles' Rodney McLeod and Detroit's Isa Abdul-Quddus are other players who fit that profile but might not draw the contracts of Iloka or Gipson.
The Eagles could also look at the draft or turn to an internal option such as Ed Reynolds or Jerome Couplin. Last season, they had success moving Thurmond, a career cornerback, over to safety.
Safety might be the only starting spot the Eagles need to address on defense, but they could use depth on the defensive line if they don't re-sign Cedric Thornton. With the Eagles moving to a 4-3 defense, there will be an emphasis on finding defensive tackles who can penetrate. The Rams' Nick Fairley, who excelled under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz in Detroit, would be a good fit. Fairley was part of a rotation on the Rams line last season, but he has the type of talent to earn starter's money.
Although the Eagles' starting linebackers are expected to be Mychal Kendricks, Jordan Hicks, and Kiko Alonso, the scheme change could require more pieces for depth - and possible insurance. Detroit's Stephen Tulloch is 31, but he played for Schwartz in Tennessee and Detroit and knows the defense.
At cornerback, the Eagles invested draft picks in Eric Rowe, JaCorey Shepherd, Randall Evans, and Jaylen Watkins the last two springs. If they want another veteran in the mix, Nolan Carroll is interested in returning after his 2015 season was cut short because of a leg injury.
And if the Eagles follow the trend of securing players whom Roseman helped bring to Philadelphia, then they could look to a reunion with Steelers cornerback Brandon Boykin - a key contributor for the Eagles from 2012 to 2014 before a trade last summer.
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