The Philadelphia Eagles are being recognized for having the best offseason among NFL title contenders, bolstered by key free-agent signings and strategic draft picks. However, potential trade rumors surrounding A.J. Brown could impact their offensive lineup.
Key points
Eagles recognized for best offseason among NFL contenders
Key signings include Riq Woolen and Jonathan Greenard
Potential trade of A.J. Brown could impact offense
Jalen Hurts in final guaranteed contract season
Philadelphia Eagles
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 11: General manager Howie Roseman of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on before the NFC Wild Card Playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field on January 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 11: General manager Howie Roseman of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on before the NFC Wild Card Playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field on January 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
***Letâs get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links âŠ***
Eagles, Raiders, Cowboys among 9 teams having best NFL offseasons â The Athletic
Title contenders â 1) Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles finished fourth last season in pass defense DVOA despite having a major weakness at cornerback opposite of Quinyon Mitchell. Free-agent signing Riq Woolen is one of the most athletic players at his position. He can have lapses in his technique, but heâs worlds better than what they had and can continue to improve. They also added some pass-rush juice, trading for Jonathan Greenard. Defensively, they could be even better than they were last season. Offensively, potentially losing A.J. Brown would hurt. The post-June 1 trade seems imminent, but the Eagles took an interesting approach to replacing him. They drafted Makai Lemon, a slot receiver who does his best work in the middle of the field, and tight end , who is essentially a big slot that also works in the middle of the field. has targeted the intermediate middle of the field at one of the lowest rates of any quarterback in the league, and this has been consistent among multiple different play callers. Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion might try to get him to throw it there more often on play-action concepts and move away from the iterations of the offense that Shane Steichen installed in 2021. Whatâs interesting is that this is the last season Hurts has guaranteed money left on his deal. As accomplished as he is, he has to prove he can grow as a passer and age gracefully as his athleticism declines. Heâs won a lot of games and a Super Bowl, but that doesnât mean the Eagles owe him a lucrative contract if they think his game could continue to decline.
The Philadelphia Eagles are hosting free agent defensive back on a visit at the Jefferson Health Training Complex on Monday, according to a report from NFL insider Ian Rapoport. Johnson, who turns 28 in July, was originally selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with a seventh-round pick (No. 259 overall, three spots ahead of as Mr. Irrelevant) in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Whatâs the most overblown story in the NFL this offseason? RJ Ochoa: It pains me to say this, but I think the answer is the Philadelphia Eagles and their dramatics. Obviously trading away A.J. Brown, assuming they wind up doing so, will only serve to make them worse on paper. You simply cannot deny this. But as obnoxious as some of the personalities associated with their team are, the Eagles have built up an enormous benefit of the doubt in the Nick Sirianni era. They have been to they playoffs in five straight seasons and have reached the Super Bowl twice in that span with a title to show for their work. You will not find opposition from me to call them annoying or overly intense, but I am just not willing to assume that they are going to totally bottom out any time soon.
âI think he knows where his future is headed at this moment,â Schefter said. âIt will be a matter of the Patriots and the Eagles getting together to basically process the trade, finalize the trade, make sure it happens. But there is nothing that has transpired here, despite all the events in , that has deterred this trade from coming on. âI still think it is on track. I still think itâs going to happen. I still think it will involve a future 1, likely a 2028 first-round draft pick. I still think all these elements are in place. And I still think that once we get to June, these two sides will get together and complete a trade thatâll send A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots.â
Trade proposal: The Patriotsâ 2028 first-round pick and a third-round pick in 2027 in exchange for Brown
There probably was a world where one first-round pick would have been enough, but then the fetched first- and fourth-round picks from for , and a market of sorts was set for Brown, who is a better player than Waddle. On the flip side, how much leverage do the Eagles have in all of this? Olivia makes a good point about the Adams deal, and itâs hard to imagine the Eagles getting that kind of compensation for Brown given all thatâs transpired. Roseman has shown in the past that he wonât settle for less in most deals. A future first and a 2027 third feels like a sort of happy medium. Itâs hard to get maximum value for players like Brown when youâre trading them. Perhaps the 2027 pick is a conditional pick that could get to a second if Brown hits certain benchmarks
As we noted in our Eagles draft grades, six of the eight players the Eagles selected in the 2026 draft either had great size or were athletic freaks of nature, as shown in my #FreakChartâąïž below. Makai Lemon was not among them. Heâs short and light with short arms and small hands. He also isnât a blazer by any stretch, as he ran a 4.50 40 at USCâs pro day. He does not possess impressive physical measurables. The Eagles did not draft Lemon to develop his traits over time. They drafted him because they think heâs a good football player, right now. He catches everything, he runs good routes, he gets yards after the catch, heâs a fierce competitor, and he had a productive college career. He is going to start for the Eagles this season in the slot. Or perhaps better stated, if he doesnât start, that would be highly alarming since (a) he in no way fits the description of a developmental player, and (b) thereâs an opening at receiver since the Eagles will be down a star player in A.J. Brown, who is hoping the grass is greener in New England. will be the WR1, and Lemon will likely be the second most targeted wide receiver, mostly operating out of the slot. The Eagles will then also mix in and , depending on the situation.
5) Philadelphia Eagles. Way-too-early ranking: 8. Most improved position: Tight end. The most action has been at receiver for the Eagles after drafting Makai Lemon, trading for Dontayvion Wicks, and signing Hollywood Brown and . But thatâs in part about trying to offset the expected departure of A.J. Brown. Similarly, they acquired edge Jonathan Greenard but lost in free agency. At tight end, meanwhile, Philly selected Eli Stowers in the second round and inked and to one-year contracts. Add the re-signing of and the Eagles have built out a talented tight ends room with more diverse skill sets than a year ago.
âI think just the way I prepare,â Smith said. âA lot of guys want to know what I do to prepare and how I prepare week in and week out.â Smith, the Eaglesâ longest-tenured receiver, served as a captain for two years at Alabama and again during the 2023 season with Philadelphia. Eagles left tackle said Smith has been a leader since Philadelphia drafted him in 2021. âI think itâs his consistency,â Mailata said. âThatâs what sticks out to me. It doesnât matter if youâre on the field or off the field. I think his character is the same on both levels, and it doesnât waver. It doesnât change. As a leader in that locker room, you need that, and I think thatâs his biggest quality as a teammate and also a leader of the team.â
Safety (4): Drew Mukuba, , , Cole Wisniewski. This is a position where the Eagles could still look to add. For now, Drew Mukuba and Marcus Epps are the expected starters but Michael Carter II should be able to compete for the job. Cole Wisniewski was a seventh-round pick but can be a Day 1 backup and special teams contributor who might one day push for some defensive snaps.
Last year, Aarav Parmar began reading a book called Peak. The novel chronicled a 14-year-old boy summiting Mount Everest, the worldâs tallest mountain. After reading it, Aarav thought to himself, âI should climb Everest, too.â In March, at just 13 years old, Aarav, alongside his father, Rishi, and mother, Sirin, spent eight days hiking to Everest Base Camp, which has an 18,192-foot elevation. Aarav did so with an Eagles Autism Foundation flag in his bag, raising over $7,000 for the organization. âI have a lot of family and friends who have autism, and I wanted to see if I could help them in any way,â Aarav said. âI read about it and I saw good foundations to help people with autism, and the Eagles Autism Foundation came up. Since the Eagles are my favorite football team, I really wanted to do it.â
After five years at Michigan, including their 2023 national championship team, Keegan was a fifth-round pick by the Eagles in 2024. Heâd immediately get another ring as part of Phillyâs 2024 Super Bowl team, albeit in a much lesser role. Keegan only dressed for one game, their Week 18 regular-season finale, and was otherwise a developmental stash as a rookie. The following August, Keegan made the Eaglesâ initial roster but was waived just a day later. Ever fond of former Wolverines, and needing more interior depth after Rob Jonesâ injury, the Cowboys claimed Keegan for a backup role. He only saw the field a handful of times, mostly for special teams work, before a neck injury ended his year. Keegan finished 2025 on IR but remains on the roster for his first offseason with Dallas. The injury is not expected to hold him back in 2026.
Nick Cross is from the DMV. He was born in Bowie, Maryland. He attended DeMatha Catholic High and then went to the University of Maryland. After four years with the , Cross has come back home. That was assured this spring, with a two-year, $13 million contract in free agency. The Washington Commanders acquired an every-down safety with over 1,000 snaps in each of the past two years. Heâll be a staple of new coordinator Daronte Jonesâ system, a team leader Washington desperately needs during its ongoing get-younger-and-faster initiative. Cross talked about his homecoming during a Monday interview on Up and Adams Show with Kay Adams, among other topics. And it sure sounds like heâll wear No. 25, despite wearing No. 20 in Indy and No. 3 at Maryland. has No. 20 and Will Harris has No. 3, and heâs not currently willing to part with it. (Donât buy a jersey just yet. These number exchanges take time and money).
The NFL Draft wrapped up on Saturday, April 25, and the evaluators weighed in right away via knee-jerk draft grades and a mountain of analysis and commentary. You know who else is telling us what they think? Gamblers. And the New York Football Giants received some noteworthy action in the week following the draft. Specifically, both DraftKings and BetMGM reported late last week that on their platforms, the Giants are the most-bet team to win the Super Bowl since the draft (more money came in on , but more bets came in on New York). DraftKings also reported that the Giants are the most-bet team to win the NFC Championship since the draft.
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Q&A
What makes the Philadelphia Eagles' offseason the best among NFL contenders?
The Eagles have made significant improvements by signing free agents like Riq Woolen and trading for Jonathan Greenard, enhancing both their defense and overall team dynamics.
How could the potential trade of A.J. Brown affect the Eagles?
Trading A.J. Brown could weaken the Eagles' offensive capabilities, as he is a key player, but they have drafted replacements like Makai Lemon to mitigate this loss.
Who are the key players the Eagles signed this offseason?
The Eagles signed defensive back Riq Woolen and traded for pass rusher Jonathan Greenard, both of whom are expected to strengthen their defense.
What is Jalen Hurts' situation regarding his contract with the Eagles?
Jalen Hurts is in the last season of his guaranteed contract, and he needs to demonstrate growth as a passer to secure a lucrative extension.
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