Eagles Free Agency Tracker- Grading Every Move Made In 2025
Eagles Free Agency is upon us. After making several big moves last off-season, they are a bit more cap-strung this off-season. They may not be able to make another Saquon Barkley sized splash, or Bryce Huff style splash for that matter. That move may not have panned out, but it was big at the time. On top of that, they have a ton of pending free agents who may walk.
But few GMs can get as creative with the cap as Howie Roseman. Will he pull another rabbit out of his hat? Can he effectively replace the players they lose?
Here is Every Eagles Free Agency Move, With Grades:
Extending Saquon Barkley
The Eagles first move came before free agency began. After Saquon ran for over 2000 yards, and continued that success into the playoffs on the way to helping the team win the Super Bowl, the Eagles rewarded Saquon with an extension that will make him, the highest-paid RB ever.
First off, it is good business to take care of your star player like that. but it also helped clear up some cap space this season by converting that money into a bonus. They keep the best RB in the NFL happy, and they give themselves a bit more wiggle room. Perfect move, nothing to complain about.
Grade-A
Related: Eagles Make Saquon Barkley Richest RB Ever With 2-Year Extension
Re-Singing Zack Baun
They followed up paying their best player on offense by making sure one of their best players on defense stuck around. Baun was set to hit free agency. The Eagles made sure that did not happen by giving him a massive new contract for a LB.
Baun was the glue of the Eagles defense last year. Under Vic Fangio, he turned into the best LB in the country, leading all LBs in stops, tackles, forced fumbles, and interceptions. Of all their free agents, he was priority number 1, and they got the job done. It cost more than people thought it would, but with how he played last year, he is worth it.
Grade- A
Related: Eagles and Zack Baun Agree To 3-Year $51 Million Deal
Milton Williams Head To The Patriots
This is not a deal the Eagles made, but rather one they didn’t, and likely couldn’t make. Milton Williams was a big part of their D-Line last year. But that great season earned him a big payday elsewhere. Williams got $26 million per year from the Patriots. A number too big for the Eagles to match.
The test here for the Eagles will be how they replace him. Is Jordan Davis ready for a larger role? is Moro Ojomo? Will they sign someone to fill in, or rely on the draft? We can’t judge the Eagles letting him leave until we see how they go about replacing him.
The good thing for the Eagles, a deal that big could net them a 3rd round compensatory pick.
Isaiah Rodgers To The Vikings
Of the Eagles FAs, Rodgers felt like someone they could keep, especially with Slay getting released. But closer to the start of Legal Tampering, it became clear his market was blowing up. Now we know for sure he won’t be back. Rodgers is heading to Minnesota on a 2-year $15 million deal.
The Eagles have some questions at cornerback. We know Quinyon M Mitchell and Cooper Dejean will star. But will Coop be inside our outside? And who will be that 3rd corner? It could be Kelee Ringo, but he has not yet proven he can start at the NFL level.
Like with Willimas, how they go about replacing Rodgers will decide if they made the right move. But unlike Williams, they might have been able to match this. We won’t know if they made the right move until we see the opening-day roster, and see how that 3rd corner looks. But it would have been nice to have some security in Isaiah Rodgers.
Josh Sweat Reunites With Jonathan Gannon
Another domino falls. Josh Sweat is on his way out as well, with him getting 4-years $76 million from the Cardinals. It leaves the Eagles with just 3 players, Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, and Bryce Huff, at EDGE.
Again, the Eagles could not match this. But we can judge them by how they replace Sweat. They will likely need another Vet, and a draft pick. They already lacked depth at DE, and now they have lost Sweat, and will likely loss BG to retirement. Not to mention Nolan Smith is recovering from a major injury.
Oren Burks To The Bengals
When Nakobe Dean went down, Burks filled right in. The recovery timetable for Dean is unclear, and he might not be ready right to start the season and might need an adjustment period even once cleared. it would have been nice to have Burks as an insurance policy, especially at 2 years and $5 million.
But that said, the Bengals may give Burks the chance to start. An opportunity he would not get here. So even if the Eagles did match this offer, he may have still gone to the Bengals. But it is another hit to the depth of the Eagles defense, which is currently taking on water fast.
Eagles Trade Kenny Pickett To Browns
The Tanner McKee era is here. the Eagles ship out Kenny Pickett, who they acquired to be the backup last year, get back a 5th-round pick, and get a new 3rd-string QB with upside in Dorian Thompson-Robinson. They now have 4 5th round picks in this draft.
There is nothing to dislike about this move. McKee was ready to become the 2nd string guy anyway, and they arguably got more back for Pickett than they originally gave up. A year ago they traded a 3rd for him but got back a 4. Now they get a th and a Qb with upside for Pickett, and save roughly $2.6 million against the cap.
Grade- A
CJ Garnder Johnson is Out Again
CJGJ can’t stay in one place. He gets traded to the Eagles, leaves in free agency the next off-season, then returns the following off-season and now gets traded again.
This one is confusing right now. With Becton leaving, you could argue they needed a new RG, but Kenyon Green has not exactly outperformed Tyler Steen to this point, he has just played for. he was a 1st round pick in 2022, so he has upside, and Jeff Stoutland is the master at reclamation projects. But the Eagles are now down another major player from their defense, with Sweat, Williams, Oren Burks, Rodgers, and maybe Slay all leaving.
The return does not seem worth losing an important piece of the defense. But maybe there is something they know that we don’t. Unless this leads to something else though, this is a puzzling move.
Grade- D
Cutting Darus Slay
Slay is one of the most underappreciated Eagles of this era. Not only did he play at an exceptional level, but he was a leader and mentor to the Eagles young DBs. But he is also 34. Eagles chose to continue the youth movement and save some money, by cutting ties with Slay. He eventually signed with the Steelers.
Again, whether or not this works out depends on who they replace him with, and how that player plays. Could it be Kelee Ringo? Maybe, but they better hope he is ready to start if so, either that or bring in a backup that makes sense.
Losing Kenny Gainwell
Speaking of underappreciated, Gainwell was great as the eagles backup last year in the rare occasions his name was called. Barkley as the workhorse back took on the bulk of the carries, but Gainwell made several key plays throughout the year, both as a runner and a pass catcher. Still, Gainwell chose to go elsewhere for more money and likely a bigger role.
Eagles sign AJ Dillon
To replace Gainwell, the Eagles brought in the big bruising back AJ Dillon. Dillon is coming off an injury but is only 26, clocks in at 247 pounds, and claims he can squat over 700 lbs. between Hurts, barkley, and now Dylan, the Eagles have serious leg power. Leg Day is a way of life in the Eagles’ weight room.
Dillon won’t cost much (likely won’t even count against the compensatory pick formula), and gives the Eagles a bulldozer as Barkley’s backup. It is likely they will need to lean on the backup RB more next season given how many carries Barkley got in 2024. Dillon to go with the change of pace back Will Shipley is a solid crew behind Barkley, and he comes cheap.
Grade- A
Eagles Bring In Josh Uche
The Eagles will need to shop in the bargain bin. When you are doing that, you look for the hidden gem, and Uche does have that potential. He has only 5 sacks in the last 2 seasons, but he had 11.5 with the Patriots in 2022.
The former-round pick has an upside. He was great in his final year at Michigan and flashed that potential in 2022. Even last year, while his production was down, he had a 17.2% pass rush win rate which is solid. He also plays special teams, which they might need help at if Sydney Brown and Kelee Ringo are going to be pulled off special teams to be the starters on defense.
That said he has struggled against the run, and his snaps have plummeted. Uche has never played more than 40% of the snaps in the season/ Right now he is a pass-rush specialist, and not much else. He is another Bryce Huff, just much less expensive.
But maybe Fangio can get more out of him. At the cost, there is no risk. They just can’t go into the season banking on him to be productive, because he hasn’t been for the last 2 seasons.
Grade- B
