24 Expiring Contracts: Inside Howie Roseman's Calculated Bet on 2027

The Quiet Masterclass Nobody's Talking About

Twenty-four players. That's how many Eagles are entering the final year of their contracts heading into the 2026 season. For most franchises, that number would signal dysfunction — a front office that lost control of its roster timeline. For Howie Roseman, it's the blueprint.

Six of those 24 players signed one-year "prove-it" deals this offseason. Arnold Ebiketie. Tariq Woolen. Andy Dalton. Jonathan Jones. Johnny Mundt. Marquise Brown back on a short leash. These aren't panic moves. They're options — low-risk lottery tickets that either hit and earn extensions or walk, potentially generating compensatory picks in 2028.

This is roster construction as financial engineering, and it tells you everything about where Roseman sees this team peaking.

The 2027 Problem That's Actually an Opportunity

Here's the math that explains every move Roseman has made this offseason. In 2027, the Eagles need to sign Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean to second contracts. Both are on track to be elite starters. Both will command top-of-market money at their positions. Mitchell, a first-round pick who locked down the outside in his rookie year, could command $20 million annually. DeJean, already one of the most versatile defensive backs in the NFL, won't come cheap either.

The Eagles also face fifth-year option decisions on Jalen Carter ($27.1 million) and Nolan Smith ($13.7 million). Carter's option is a no-brainer — you exercise that immediately for a two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle. Smith's is the more interesting gamble. After a promising 2024 that saw him rack up 6.5 sacks and four more in the playoff run, he regressed to three sacks in 12 games last season with a triceps injury. At $13.7 million, does Philadelphia want to bet on the talent over the recent production?

The answer is probably yes, because the alternative — letting Smith walk and hunting for edge rushers in free agency — is how you end up overpaying for mediocre pass rushers. The Eagles already watched Jaelan Phillips sign with the Panthers after they made a push to bring him in. Edge talent is scarce and expensive on the open market.

The One-Year Deal Philosophy

Roseman's strategy with one-year signings isn't new, but the scale is unprecedented. Look at what each signing actually accomplishes:

Tariq Woolen is the headliner. The former Seahawk has elite physical tools — 6-foot-4, long arms, 4.26 speed — but struggled with consistency in Seattle. On a one-year deal worth roughly $3.5 million, the downside is negligible. If Woolen plays to his 2022 form when he had six interceptions and was a Pro Bowler, the Eagles just found a CB1 on a discount. If he doesn't, he walks, and Philadelphia likely lands a solid compensatory pick because someone will overpay him in 2027 free agency. It's a win either way.

Arnold Ebiketie might be the sneakiest addition. The former Falcon put up 16.5 sacks over four years in Atlanta, including six sacks in 2024 as a part-time player. He's only ever started 12 games in 67 appearances. With a full-time role alongside Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt, Ebiketie could be the pass-rushing answer the Eagles have been searching for since Brandon Graham retired.

Andy Dalton solves the backup quarterback question and likely signals the end of the Tanner McKee era in Philadelphia. McKee has drawn interest from other teams, and at this point in his career, Dalton is the more reliable insurance policy behind Jalen Hurts. The trade — just a 2027 seventh-round pick — is pocket change for a veteran who started games as recently as last season.

The Offensive Line Crisis Nobody's Addressing

The draft is going to have to fix what free agency didn't. ESPN's draft analysts identified the Eagles' top three needs as edge, offensive line, and tight end, and with good reason. Jordan Mailata is the only starting offensive lineman who is a lock to be on the roster in 2027. Let that sink in.

Landon Dickerson's extension helped, but the right side of the line remains a question mark. Brett Toth and Matt Pryor departed in free agency. Cam Jurgens is entering a critical year at center. The Eagles' sportsbook odds are +115 to go offensive line with their first pick at No. 23 overall, and that might be the smart play.

The name to watch is Emery Jones Jr. from LSU or Aireontae Ersery from Minnesota — both elite run-game blockers who could step in and stabilize the right side immediately. With new offensive line coach Chris Kuper replacing the legendary Jeff Stoutland, the Eagles need plug-and-play talent, not projects.

Dallas Goedert: The Ticking Clock

Perhaps the most fascinating contract situation belongs to Dallas Goedert. The tight end is 31, has never had a 1,000-yard season or made a Pro Bowl, and yet just posted a career-high 11 touchdowns in 2025. He's on the final year of his deal, and the Eagles haven't shown urgency to extend him.

That's telling. Goedert is a warrior — 15 starts, 60 catches, 591 yards, touchdowns in the playoff loss — but tight end is a position the Eagles clearly want to address through the draft. The addition of Johnny Mundt as a blocking tight end signals the team knows its run game suffered without that kind of presence. If Philadelphia drafts a tight end early, Goedert's days as a long-term Eagle might be numbered, even as he's playing the best football of his career.

What This All Means for September

Roseman is building a team designed to contend in 2026 while setting up maximum flexibility for 2027. The one-year deals create a natural roster churn that keeps the team young, hungry, and cap-flexible. The players on expiring contracts have every reason to play out of their minds — it's an audition for their next deal.

The risk is obvious: if multiple one-year guys underperform, the Eagles have a roster full of players who aren't good enough and aren't invested long-term. But Roseman has hedged that risk by keeping the core intact — Hurts, Mailata, A.J. Brown (for now), DeVonta Smith, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Jalen Carter, and Jordan Davis.

The bet is simple: surround a championship-caliber core with motivated short-term talent, draft the future this April, and have the cap space in 2027 to lock down the players who prove they belong. It's not conservative. It's not aggressive. It's calculated. And if it works, this offseason will be remembered as the one that built a dynasty — not despite the 24 expiring contracts, but because of them.

This Eagles roster might look like a transition year on paper. But Roseman has been in this league long enough to know that transition years are where championships are built. The 2017 Super Bowl team wasn't assembled in one offseason. Neither will the next one be. But the foundation? That's being poured right now.