Eagles Make Big Moves to Start NFL Free Agency
It’s officially Howie SZN. The NFL league year opens on Wednesday, March 13th. At 4pm, NFL free agency begins, but that doesn’t mean moves aren’t already being made. The silliest thing the NFL does is allow teams to negotiate with players 2 days before the official start of the league year. It’s already understood that these teams have been talking with agents for weeks at this point. As silly as it is, the league is also brilliant for snagging two more days of the week by naming it the “legal tampering” period. Most of the league probably wants to create a rule making it illegal for Howie Roseman to talk with agents prior to the league year starting.
On day one of the legal tampering period, Howie Roseman set his sights 90 miles north. The first shoe to drop was a very good edge rusher from the New York Jets. Bryce Huff’s 3 year $51.1 million deal, makes him the highest paid, non-quarterback undrafted player ever. Huff led a very good Jets defense in sacks last season with 10. The Huff signing makes it a bit more realistic that the Eagles plan to move on from Josh Sweat and, surprisingly, Haason Reddick (unless a deal at the right number can be struck.)
That was a great move to get Huff, but it’s getting completely overshadowed by the bigger news yesterday. Also, leaving the Meadowlands and heading down I-95 is former Giants running back Saquon Barkley. In a stunner, the Eagles go outside their norm regarding paying running backs and get the best guy on the market. Some people are a little turned off by this, because they look at what he did in New York as not that impressive. The Giants offensive line was a disaster for much of his time there. Even with Jason Kelce retired, this Eagles offensive line is one of the best in the league. They are going to open up holes that Saquon has never seen before. Barkley isn’t just a rushing threat, he adds another pass catching threat for this offense.
In other news, the Eagles locked up starting guard Landon Dickerson to a 4 year, $84 million deal. Making Dickerson the highest paid guard in NFL history. Business is booming for the Birds, and the league year hasn’t even begun. Howie needs to go get former Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen and bring back safety CJ Gardner-Johnson to help this defense.
UPDATE* Linebacker Patrick Queen signed a 3 year deal with the Steelers.
UPDATE ** CJ Gardner-Johnson is coming back to the Eagles. He will sign a 3 year, $33 million contract. This is good news for the Eagles secondary.
5 NFL Teams That Will Look Very Different in 2024
5. Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are headed for a major makeover, especially when it comes to their defense. They’ve brought on Mike Macdonald, who is the former defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. Seattle’s defense is going to improve greatly with him in charge, and they could look like a different team.
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
4. Los Angeles Chargers
It’s happening. Jim Harbaugh is back in the NFL. Why? He’s very motivated to get a Super Bowl. He’s fresh off a national championship win with the Wolverines, to boot. He also has a great quarterback in Justin Herbert. Other than Herbert, though, expect some big changes here.
(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
3. Carolina Panthers
For the Carolina Panthers, there’s really nowhere to go but up. Now, the team has a new head coach (again) in Dave Canales. He’s a great fit for them, but he has a lot of work to do. Expect major changes. He bring experience from his time with the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
(Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
2. Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders let go of their coach, Josh McDaniels, before the season was even finished, because yes, things were that bad. Antonio Pierce was a bit of a hero and helped Las Vegas come back at the end of last season. He’s now their new head coach, and he’ll have to make a lot of changes to get this team to where they need to be.
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
1. Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders have been hurting lately, so Dan Quinn to the rescue. He helped take the Falcons to Super Bowl 51, so he has experience. He’s also working to make some big changes going into the next season, and yes, they will need them if they want to be competitive.
(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Bonus
So, what teams will not look any different in 2024? It’s a safe bet that the Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will try to stay with what’s been working for them. The Ravens will look different, with a new defensive coordinator. Also, the Eagles will look different this year, although they’re keeping the core of their team, being their head coach Nick Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts.
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
