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Eagles will let linebacker Alex Singleton go into unrestricted free agency

The 28-year-old linebacker has been the Eagles’ leading tackler each of the last two seasons and had 137 total tackles last year alone.

Philadelphia Eagles outside linebacker Alex Singleton celebrates after the Jets failed to convert on fourth down in the fourth quarter. Eagles win 33-18 over the Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021.
Philadelphia Eagles outside linebacker Alex Singleton celebrates after the Jets failed to convert on fourth down in the fourth quarter. Eagles win 33-18 over the Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021.Read moreYONG KIM / Staff Photographer
    by EJ Smith
    Published 

The Eagles decided Monday to let Alex Singleton enter unrestricted free agency later this week, according to an ESPN report.

Singleton was set to become a restricted free agent, but the team will not tender him an offer before the deadline on Wednesday at 4 p.m. when free agency officially begins. The 28-year-old linebacker has been the Eagles’ leading tackler each of the last two seasons and had 137 total tackles last year alone.

He played in the Canadian Football League from 2016-18 before catching on with the Eagles in the 2019 season. He was a high-effort, off-ball linebacker for the team but struggled in coverage. According to Pro Football Focus, he gave up 73 catches on 84 targets and receivers averaged 9.4 yards per reception against him.

Still, the fact that the Eagles didn’t keep Singleton, who presumably wouldn’t have cost much on an extension, is an indication that the team plans to remake a linebacking corps that struggled for most of the 2021 season.

T.J. Edwards signed an extension midway through the season, but the other two linebacker spots should feature new blood next year. Haason Reddick agreed to terms with the Eagles earlier Monday and would fit in the “SAM” linebacker role Genard Avery, another unrestricted free agent, occupied last season.

» READ MORE: Eagles agree to sign edge rusher Haason Reddick to three-year, $45 million contract

In regard to the other off-ball linebacker spot Singleton will vacate, Davion Taylor was earning playing time over Singleton before the 2019 third-round pick suffered a season-ending knee injury. The Eagles could also target someone in the draft to compete with Taylor for the third starting spot.

Eagles general manager has a track record of being linebacker-averse early in the draft, but said the front office will explore its options this offseason.

“T.J. had a heck of a year, a really good year,” Roseman said earlier this month. “We have a bunch of other young players at the position, and we’ll just see what happens in free agency and the draft.”