Eagles Free Agency Week in Review: What Howie Got Right and What's Still Missing
The Eagles addressed cornerback and added edge depth, but the safety hole remains as large as the Grand Canyon. Here's where Howie Roseman's free agency week actually grades out.
The JAKIB Staff
contributor
Replacement vs. Exit: Grading the Week
Free agency week is in the books, and the Eagles' report card reads somewhere between a B-minus and a C-plus depending on your tolerance for patience. Howie Roseman addressed the cornerback position with Tariq Woolen and Jonathan Jones — two signings that immediately upgrade a secondary that was bleeding yards after the departure of Darius Slay. On the edge, Arnold Ebiketie arrives from Atlanta as a depth piece, not a savior, but an upgrade over the Josh Uche and Azeez Ojulari combination that limped through 2025.
But the holes are impossible to ignore. Safety remains a crater — as wide and deep as the Grand Canyon. Reed Blankenship's departure left a void that Andrew Mukuba alone cannot fill. The Eagles have cap space — roughly $13 million under — but haven't used it aggressively. The argument that this free agent class was thin holds some water, but the lack of urgency at safety is becoming a pattern.
The Edge Problem Isn't Solved
Ebiketie as a DE4 is fine. Ebiketie as a DE2? That's last year's problem all over again. The Eagles need a legitimate pass-rushing force opposite Josh Sweat's replacement — someone who can be the reason opposing quarterbacks lose sleep. Jonathan Greenard from Minnesota remains the name to watch, with at least 10 teams reportedly interested. The Eagles budgeted dollars for an edge rusher during free agency. They just haven't spent them yet.
The Draft Is Where This Gets Interesting
If Howie's playing chess while everyone else plays checkers, the board should start making sense in the next two weeks. The Eagles are one or two moves away from having a defense that looks genuinely frightening — Jordan Davis locked up long-term, Jalen Carter extension talks ongoing with Drew Rosenhaus, and a secondary that went from weakness to strength with the Woolen and Jones additions.
The front seven can mask a lot of problems in the secondary — it did in 2022 when the Eagles had 70 sacks. But Howie can't stumble into the season again the way he did last year at edge. The clock is ticking, and the draft is April. Grade this week a B-minus with an asterisk: the next two weeks determine whether it becomes an A or a D.
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The JAKIB Staff
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