Have the Eagles Actually Gotten Better This Offseason? The Case For and Against
The Eagles signed Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and continued Howie Roseman's draft proofing strategy. But have they actually improved? The answer depends on how much faith you put in the NFL Draft.
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# Have the Eagles Actually Gotten Better This Offseason? The Case For and Against
The Eagles signed edge rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka on Monday, adding a former first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a defensive line rotation that has cycled through bodies since losing Bryce Huff and Josh Sweat. At 26 years old, Tryon-Shoyinka gives the Eagles four legitimate NFL edge rushers alongside Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, and Arnold Ebiketie.
But here's the uncomfortable question that won't go away: has any of this actually made the Eagles better than they were last year?
The Case Against — And It's Not Easy to Dismiss
Look at the Eagles roster in a vacuum right now. They lost players. Reed Blankenship walked in free agency. The wide receiver room has massive question marks with AJ Brown's future uncertain and no clear replacement signed. The offensive line health remains the single biggest concern on this roster after a down 2025 season that exposed just how fragile the unit had become.
The additions? Tariq Woolen on a one-year prove-it deal at $12 million. Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore as depth receivers — neither of whom profiles as a difference-maker. Arnold Ebiketie as a rotational edge rusher. And now Tryon-Shoyinka, who is a long shot to even make the final roster.
None of these are splash moves. None of them project as clear upgrades over what left. Meanwhile, the Rams added two corners including the outstanding Jalen Watson to shore up their secondary. The NFC landscape shifted around the Eagles while Philadelphia appears to be running in place. The Cowboys, the 49ers, the Lions — teams across the conference made moves designed to get better. The Eagles made moves designed to not get worse. There's a difference.
The Case For — And It's Stronger Than You Think
But here's the counter that deserves serious consideration: no team in the NFL is actually better on March 30th. Every single roster is incomplete. The natural attrition of the offseason means everyone got worse before they get better. Rosters are at 60-65 players when they need to be at 90 by the summer.
The teams that "won" free agency — Las Vegas, Tennessee — are the worst teams in the league. They had cap space because they had nothing worth keeping. They're spending money because they're desperate, not because they're smart. Do you really want to be them?
The Eagles have the opposite challenge, and it's actually a good problem to have. They've drafted so well over the past five years that their primary concern is keeping the good young players they've developed. Cooper DeJean, Quinyon Mitchell, Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt — this core of young defensive talent is the envy of the league.
Roseman's draft proofing strategy means the Eagles could play a game tomorrow and field a competent roster at every position. How many teams in the NFL can honestly say that? Maybe three.
The Real Answer: It All Comes Down to the Draft and the Offensive Line
The Eagles have nine draft picks, including four in the top 100. Their recent draft history is astonishing — DeVonta Smith, Landon Dickerson, Milton Williams, Jordan Davis, Cam Jurgens, Nakobe Dean, Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Jalyx Hunt. That five-year run of premium picks hitting is borderline absurd.
If they hit on even three of their four premium picks this year, this roster looks dramatically different by September. The concern — and it's legitimate — is regression to the mean. No team drafts this well forever. It just doesn't happen.
But you can't walk into the draft assuming you'll fail. The Eagles are positioned better than almost any franchise in football to add meaningful contributors through the draft. Whether that's enough to compete for a Super Bowl depends on one thing above all else: getting the offensive line back on track. Fix the line, and this team is right back in the conversation. Don't fix it, and nothing else matters.
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