The Eagles Are About to Get Raided in Free Agency — And That Might Be the Plan

The Eagles are about to get raided in free agency. And Howie Roseman is fine with it.

That should tell you everything you need to know about where this franchise stands heading into March.

At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this week, Roseman essentially telegraphed the plan: Philadelphia is going to lose starters, collect compensatory draft picks, and keep building through the draft. It’s the same playbook they ran last offseason when Milton Williams, Josh Sweat, Mekhi Becton, and Isaiah Rodgers all walked. And honestly? It’s the right call — even if it stings.

Here’s the reality. The Eagles have four significant free agents who are almost certainly pricing themselves out of Philadelphia: tight end Dallas Goedert, edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, linebacker Nakobe Dean, and safety Reed Blankenship. That’s three defensive starters and a veteran tight end, all likely gone by the second week of March.

Phillips Is the Big Fish

Phillips is the big fish. The former first-round pick has been ranked as a top-5 free agent by NFL.com, ESPN, and The Ringer. He’s looking at $20 million per year on the open market, and while there’s maybe a 50-50 shot he returns, Roseman’s combine comments didn’t exactly scream confidence. When a GM starts talking about “making choices” and “limiting flexibility,” that’s code for “we can’t afford everyone.”

Dean and Blankenship are gone. You can feel it. Roseman praised Blankenship as a “tremendous player, tremendous person” — which is the nicest way a GM can say goodbye. And when asked about Dean, Roseman pivoted straight to talking about 2025 first-rounder Jihaad Campbell stepping into a starting role. That’s not subtle.

Goedert, meanwhile, is 30 years old and coming off a season where the Eagles clearly started transitioning away from relying on the tight end position in the passing game. Someone will overpay him. It won’t be Philadelphia.

The Comp Pick Pipeline

So what’s the upside? Compensatory picks. Lots of them.

Last year’s departures are projected to net the Eagles a third-round pick for Williams, a fourth-rounder for Sweat, and a fifth-rounder for Becton. Those picks should be officially awarded in March. Now imagine the haul from this year’s class: Phillips alone could generate a third-round comp pick, with Dean and Blankenship potentially adding fourth and fifth-rounders.

That’s draft capital stacking on draft capital. And for a team that has consistently drafted well under Roseman — Cam Jurgens, Landon Dickerson (who just confirmed he’s returning in 2026, ending retirement speculation at age 27), Nakobe Dean himself — those mid-round picks are gold.

The A.J. Brown Wrinkle

But here’s where it gets complicated: the A.J. Brown situation. Nick Sirianni’s comments at the combine raised eyebrows across the league. Multiple outlets are already listing potential trade destinations for Brown, with the Los Angeles Chargers emerging as a prime landing spot. If Philly moves Brown before June 1, it creates cap relief but also blows a massive hole in an offense that already needs to figure out its identity under new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion.

Mannion, hired in January after the Eagles fired Kevin Patullo, inherits a roster in transition. Jalen Hurts is the unquestioned starter, but who’s he throwing to if Brown is gone? DeVonta Smith is elite, but he can’t carry a passing attack alone. Jahan Dotson hasn’t developed into the reliable second option they hoped for. And Goedert might be catching passes in Jacksonville or wherever by then.

The counter-argument — and it’s a fair one — is that this team’s identity isn’t built on the passing game anyway. Saquon Barkley is the engine. That offensive line, anchored by Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata, Dickerson, and Jurgens, is still one of the best in football. The tush push isn’t going anywhere (though the league is reportedly looking at rule changes again). And Vic Fangio’s defense proved last season it can carry this team deep into January.

Recalibrating, Not Declining

The 11-6 record and Wild Card loss to the 49ers stings, sure. Blowing a fourth-quarter lead in the playoffs is peak Philadelphia sports pain. But this isn’t a team in decline — it’s a team recalibrating.

Roseman said it best: “We want to build a team that every year has a chance to compete for championships, that drafts really well and signs their own players and just sporadically goes into free agency.”

That’s not sexy. Philly fans want the big splash signing. They want the blockbuster trade. But the Eagles’ model is working. They’ve made four consecutive playoff appearances under Sirianni, including two Super Bowl trips. The foundation is rock solid.

The next few weeks will be painful. Watching Dean sign somewhere else, seeing Blankenship in another uniform, potentially losing Phillips to a team willing to overpay — none of that feels good. But every departure is a future draft pick. Every comp pick is another chance to find the next Dickerson or Jurgens in the middle rounds.

Trust the process? Nah, that’s the other team across Broad Street. But trust the plan? Yeah. Roseman’s earned that much.

The Eagles are about to get lighter on the roster and heavier on draft picks. And if history is any guide, that’s exactly how they’ll reload for another championship run.