Thoughts about all 10 players Eagles have added in free agency
Thoughts about all 10 players Eagles have added in free agency originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Ahead of free agency this offseason, general manager Howie Roseman made it pretty clear that the Eagles weren’t going to make major splashes.
And so far they haven’t.
The biggest move the Eagles have made this month was to hand out a three-year, $78 million extension to Jordan Davis . At some point, they’ll likely hand out an even bigger extension to Jalen Carter .
On top of that, they have re-signed five of their own free agents: TE Grant Calcaterra , P Braden Mann, TE Dallas Goedert, S Marcus Epps and OT Fred Johnson
But the Eagles have added players too. In fact, they have added 10 players since the start of free agency. Here’s a thought about each of them:
CB Riq Woolen
This is the Eagles’ most significant free agent signing. They gave Woolen a one-year, $12 million contract to be their other starting cornerback, teaming up with Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean . On paper, this gives the Eagles one of the best cornerback trios — maybe the best — in the NFL. Woolen, who turns 27 later this offseason, is an extremely talented physical freak. He’s 6-4, 210 pounds and ran a sub 4.30 in the 40-yard dash at the 2022 NFL Combine. He also has 53 starts under his belt and 12 career interceptions to go along with 53 pass breakups. Those ball skills are as real as his athleticism.
Of course, there are reasons Woolen was available on a one-year deal. While he was a big part of the Super Bowl-winning defense in Seattle , he lost his full-time job in 2025 and the Seahawks elected to keep Josh Jobe over him. And Woolen is among the more penalized players in the NFL. Plenty of those penalties have been taunting calls, like the costly one we saw in the NFC Championship Game. So he’s not a perfect player. But after watching the Eagles try to solidify the CB2 spot all last season with Adoree’ Jackson, Kelee Ringo , Jakorian Bennett and even Jaire Alexander , they were done playing games. This is a legitimate upgrade at a position they clearly value. The upside on this move gives the Eagles the best cornerback trio in the league.
The Eagles brought in Brown on a 1-year, $5 million contract. Brown is a former first-round pick who has never quite lived up to his draft status as the No. 25 overall selection in 2019. But Brown has had a somewhat productive career with his best season coming in 2021 with the Ravens; that’s his only 1,000-yard season. Last year with the Chiefs, Brown caught 49 passes for 587 yards and 5 touchdowns. The idea with Brown (5-9, 180) is that his pure speed — he ran a 4.27 at his pro day in 2019 — will help stretch the field both vertically and horizontally. That element means that Brown can theoretically have an impact on the game when he isn’t seeing a ton of targets; and that has traditionally been important in an offense with so many talented skill players. On top of that, Brown has a preexisting relationship with Jalen Hurts , which isn’t a bad thing either.
Of course, we can’t look at any receiver move without thinking about the A.J. Brown situation. If Hollywood is coming to Philadelphia to be the Eagles’ No. 3 receiver behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith , that’s an ideal role. If he has to be the No. 2 behind Smith, that is less appealing.
OLB Arnold Ebiketie
Ebiketie (who goes by A.K.) got a one-year deal worth $4.3 million to join the Eagles. A year after the Birds signed veterans Joshua Uche and Azeez Ojulari in free agency, this move feels like a similar one. But just because those deals last year didn’t work out, it doesn’t mean this one will fail too. Ebiketie, 27, was a second-round pick in 2022 and had 6 sacks in 2023 and 6 sacks in 2024. Last season, the Falcons drafted two edge rushers in the first round, which really minimized Ebiketie’s usage and he ended up with just 2 sacks. But his pressure rate was still strong and there’s plenty to like about him.
Is it likely that Ebiketie suddenly turns into a star in Philly? No. But he can be a viable part of the rotation. The problem is that the edge rusher position still seems unfinished. Ebiketie is 6-2, 250 pounds and the Eagles are still missing that bigger-bodied defensive end in the rotation.
It seems likely that Jones is the veteran cornerback brought in to replace Adoree’ Jackson. Jones is 32 and has 10 years of experience in the league. At 5-9, 185 pounds, Jones is built like a slot corner but has plenty of experience playing inside and outside. In fact, he has played more on the outside in recent seasons. It never hurts to have depth at cornerback and that’s why Jones is here. (And it’s also pretty cool that Jones is a pilot and literally flew himself to Philly.)
WR Elijah Moore
There are really two parts of the Moore signing. First is that Moore is a 25-year-old former second-round pick. He was drafted by the Jets back in 2021 when Joe Douglas was their GM. Douglas is now back in the Eagles’ front office so there’s the Eagles connection. Moore (5-10, 178) has had some decent production in his NFL career — has gone over 500 yards in three of his five seasons — but clearly hasn’t lived up to his potential. The Eagles are always going to buy low on potential.
The other facet of this signing pertains to A.J. Brown. While it might seem like adding another receiver could be a precursor to a Brown trade, Moore and Brown are extremely close. They were teammates and roommates at Ole Miss and they consider each other to be family. Brown has credited Moore for helping him get through some dark days. It’s not as easy as the Eagles signed Moore so Brown will stay. But it would make sense if Brown was interested in reuniting with a very close friend in Philly.
QB Andy Dalton
The Eagles didn’t sign Dalton; he’s the one guy on the list that came to them via trade. In that trade, the Eagles gave up a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Panthers. Dalton is 38 now and well past his prime as a three-time Pro Bowler. For now, he’s the No. 3 behind Jalen Hurts and Tanner McKee but his presence gives the Eagles the option of eventually trading McKee. The Eagles won’t be giving away their backup quarterback but if they ever get an offer good enough for McKee, they would want to have a backup they can trust in 2026. They now have that in Dalton.
TE Jonny Mundt
If you can’t get excited about a 31-year-old blocking tight end, I don’t know what to tell you. This was the element missing from the Eagles’ tight end room in 2025 and Roseman admitted as much earlier this offseason. Mundt (6-4, 243) has never had 200 receiving yards in a season but is known for his blocking and has spent his career playing in Shanahan offenses. He was teammates with OC Sean Mannion with the Rams and was with the Vikings when OL coach Chris Kuper was there. Mundt is a useful player who can help implement the new offense.
Pierce is another buy-low free agent. The 26-year-old had his best season as a rookie in 2022 with the Texans. That year, as a fourth-round pick from Florida, he had 220 carries for 939 yards and 4 touchdowns. But then he lost his starting job in Houston and his career just hasn’t been the same since. In Philly, he’s behind Saquon Barkley , Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley . But the Eagles kept A.J. Dillon on their roster all of last season so Pierce could be Dillon’s replacement. He also has some kick return ability and the Eagles should take a look at him there in training camp.
S J.T. Gray
The Eagles traded away Sydney Brown to the Falcons so they lost one of their key special teams contributors. Enter Gray. While Gray is technically a safety, he’s a 30-year-old who has played a grand total of 153 defensive snaps in his nine-year NFL career. But he is considered one of the best special teams players in the league. He was a Pro Bowler and All-Pro as a special teamer in 2021 and was a second-team All-Pro in 2019 and 2024. The Eagles haven’t really rostered many special teams aces in recent seasons but Gray should provide a big enough boost to Michael Clay’s special teams units to perhaps warrant a spot on the 53-man roster.
TE Stone Smartt
Smartt, 27, is a former quarterback-turned-tight end. The 6-foot-4, 226-pounder is very athletic. He might actually be a longshot to make the roster but it can’t hurt to take a look at him. Smartt’s best season came with the Chargers in 2024 when he had 16 catches for 208 yards.
