If recent history has taught us anything, the Philadelphia Eagles will once again capture the limelight during the 2020 offseason in more ways than one. General Manager Howie Roseman may not have been able to bring the Birds back to the Super Bowl in the past two years, but if he’s good for anything, he complements a list, which makes the project and free agency of annual events planned for the faithful of the Eagles. Former colleague Andrew Berry, who now heads the Cleveland Browns front office, this week called Roseman “the largest wheel dealer in the league“, And history confirms this designation: the Eagles regularly appear among the most aggressive, or at least proactive, franchises in terms of list and salary management.
That being said, the 2020 offseason figures are no exception to some headlining eagles. Essential pieces like Carson Wentz, Zach Ertz, Lane Johnson and Fletcher Cox are all locked in for the foreseeable future – so much so that Philly doesn’t really need to pay a veteran’s salary before kick-off free agency on March 18. But a year after the Eagles were sorely lacking in healthy arms and failed to advance to the postseason, Roseman seems determined to give Doug Pederson’s training a facelift, referring to the club. Prioritization 2016 and 2017 long-term, high-end additions as a model for what lies ahead.
That said, this hub will serve as a meeting place for everything the Eagles said during the busy stretch ahead. We’ll have all the important dates, free agency dashboards, provisional content, the latest rumors and news from Philadelphia, and much more:
Key dates to come
- March 10: Deadline for NFL teams to place the franchise or transition label on a player. There isn’t a single free Eagles agent who will guarantee the use of either, and besides, Philly has a limited history with tags. The last time they scored a franchise was in 2012, when DeSean Jackson got the designation before landing an extension.
- March 16: The NFL legal forgery period begins, allowing teams to start chatting with and entering into contract negotiations with free agents. The Eagles aren’t desperate to lock down one of their internal FAs, so it’s more about raising awareness of big names elsewhere.
- March 18: The new championship year officially begins at 4 p.m. AND. We will probably know at least one of the Eagles’ movements in advance.
- March 29-April 1: NFL Annual Meeting in Palm Beach, Florida. Another chance to hear Pederson and Roseman, probably on their biggest compositional moves.
- Half April: Publication of the 2020 calendar.
- April 23-April 25: The NFL draft in Las Vegas. The Eagles have 21st overall, plus nine other selections.
- April 27: NFL teams may request permission to visit, try or sign any player under contract with the XFL.
- 1st May: Beginning of NFL minicamps.
Free agency scorecard
Restricted free agents:
Restricted free agents must be submitted in order to remain on the list. The Eagles can award a number of different offers (original round, first round, second round, etc.). Each offer comes with a higher 2020 salary, to be determined by the NFL.
* = Exclusive free agent. In the event of a call for tenders, ERFAs cannot negotiate with other teams; they can either sign with the bidding team or sit during the season.
Unrestricted internal free agents
You don’t have to search hard to find notable names on this list. No matter how you cut it, the Eagles will say goodbye to a handful of key contributors to their 2017 Super Bowl race. The thing is, they’ll probably lose most of them. Sproles a once said he would retire, Agholor has exhausted its reception despite an underestimated 2017 campaign, Peters’ successor (André Dillard) is already in the building business, Darby has almost never been in good health, and McLeod could be a justified departure in the case where Malcolm Jenkins gets a new deal and / or the Eagles explore a relatively deep free agent S class.
Probably the safest bet to return from the Eagles’ FA is Mills, who would be a number 2 BC for most NFL teams, but remains a fiery favorite of coordinator Jim Schwartz. Pederson told the combine he would love to find Peters, but any meeting could be delayed at the Sproles until he signs again until summer 2019. Agholor, Vaitai, Darby and McLeod should not have any struggling to spark interest elsewhere – the first three in part because of the positions they occupy; McLeod because he’s been a rock solid starter for years.
Unrestricted free agent signatures of other teams
Free agent signatures for players cut by other teams
Note: Players who are signed after being released by another team (rather than entering an unsigned free agency) do not count towards the compensatory project selection formula for the team that signs them.
2020 NFL Draft Pick:
- Round 1: Philadelphia
- Round 2: Philadelphia
- Round 3: Philadelphia
- Round 4: Philadelphia
- Round 5: Philadelphia, New England (exchange with Michael Bennett)
- Round 6: Atlanta (exchange with Johnathan Cyprien)
- Round 7: None
The Eagles are also expected to get three compensatory picks before the 2020 draft – a third round for the loss of QB Nick Foles to the Jaguars, a fourth round for LB Jordan Hicks going to the Cardinals and a fourth round for WR Golden Tate at the Giants.
Rumors, reports and updates
Eagles ready to ‘go hard’ after elite BC
February 28: According to Tim McManus of ESPN, all signs indicate that the Eagles “are going hard after a high-end cornerback” from the opening of the free agency, with the Cowboys Byron Jones being their likely target “Plan A”. Previous reports had linked Jones to the Eagles, but one thing is clear: Philly is in the market for secondary help.
Eagles could shop WR Alshon Jeffery
Feb. 25: Several reports have indicated that the Eagles prefer to trade Jeffery not only because of his recent field problems (injuries, regression), but because of his alleged anonymous criticism of Wentz and the offense. A number of teams might be interested by absorbing the veteran’s big pay for an exchange of choice, including the New York Jets and the New York Giants.
Cowboys CB Byron Jones probably on the Eagles radar
February 18: As reported to CBS Sports, Jones plans to become the highest paid NFL player on the job on March 18 with an estimated annual transportation of at least $ 16 million. Dallas has no plans to go into a bidding war for the defensive back, even if that means Jones stays in NFC East, where the Eagles, New York Giants and Washington Redskins probably all have a lot interest.
Eagles split from LB Nigel Bradham
February 18: Two years after inked in a $ 40 million five-year extension, the Eagles released one of their Super Bowl starters, which saves about $ 4.5 million in 2020 ceiling space in the process. Bradham was a physical presence and a former signalman for Schwartz’s “D”, but injuries limited his impact in 2019. He may be a candidate to return with reduced pay later in the off-season.
Demarcus Robinson of Chiefs Among Possible Eagles Targets
February 10: Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported the Eagles have “in their sights” Robinson, a reserve receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl champion, as they seek more speed. It would likely represent a mid-level, low-risk, high-reward option for the WR club, although if the 2019 pass-catcher market is any indication, its price could be higher than expected.