Which low-cost defensive free agents could make sense for the Eagles? | Early Birds

Good morning, Eagles fans! Welcome to the first newsletter of March. Where has the time gone? It’s a relatively quiet time for the Eagles right now, but there’s plenty to look forward to. The “legal” tampering period is less than two weeks away and we have the NFL draft fast approaching at the end of April.

We’ve spent the last few newsletters discussing the draft, partly because the Eagles’ cap situation will keep them from being very active in free agency. That’s not to say they can’t still add some players after the first wave of players go, though. More on that later.

If you like what you’re reading, tell your friends it’s free to sign up here​. I want to know what you think, what we should add, and what you want to read, so send me feedback by email or on Twitter @EJSmith94.

— EJ Smith (earlybirds@inquirer.com)

The Eagles approach to free agency will have to be significantly different this offseason because of the salary-cap mess Howie Roseman has created. Even though it will take several cuts, trades, and contract restructures, the Eagles should have some cap space to add a couple low-cost free agents.

Unlike the last few offseasons, signing veteran free agents to short-term deals in order to keep the team in contention isn’t an option. There’s also no real chance they’ll be giving out any high-priced contracts to younger players they see as foundational pieces like they did last summer with Javon Hargrave.

Instead, expect them to stand pat early in the free agency process and eventually pick off a young player or two with a chance to realize their upside.

Here are a few defensive players who more or less fit that description:

Gareon Conley

Conley is a good example of a young player who should be in line for a “prove it” deal. The 25-year-old cornerback was a first-round pick in 2017 but has yet to make a true impact in the league. He started his career with the Oakland Raiders, was traded to the Houston Texans in 2019 and missed all of last season with an ankle injury. The injury history is a concern, as is his inconsistency in zone coverage, but he’s got the capability of playing on the outside and has been effective in man coverage. According to Pro Football Focus, Conley has forced incompletions on 22% of his targets since 2017, which is the second-best rate in the league over that time. For a team that values analytics as much as the Eagles, this could be intriguing.

Xavier Rhodes

Rhodes, a 30-year-old cornerback who could command around $8 million, isn’t the best example of the players the Eagles will likely consider, but he has a connection with new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon and capably plays a position the team needs badly. Gannon was Rhodes’ assistant coach in Minnesota from 2014-17 and was his defensive backs coach in Indianapolis last season. Rhodes is coming off a career year in Indy after showing signs of regression in 2018 with the Vikings.

He may be a little older and a little more expensive than most of the free agents the Eagles will target, but he’s still a quality starter with a reason to want to play in Philly.

Ahkello Witherspoon

Witherspoon is another free-agent cornerback with the potential to hold his own on the outside. The 25-year-old has had an up-and-down last four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. He earned a starting corner job as a rookie and played opposite Richard Sherman in 2018 and most of 2019 before getting benched during the team’s playoff run that season. He spent last year as a backup, but got a few starts toward the end of the year and played well, tallying three pass breakups and an interception in the final three games.

At 6-foot-2, 195 pounds and a 4.45-second 40-yard dash to his name from the 2017 scouting combine, the former third-round pick could help diversify the Eagles’ cornerback room, which currently features a few too many undersized options at the position. It’s worth noting Witherspoon has some familiarity with Eagles’ new special teams coordinator Michael Clay, who spent the last five seasons with the 49ers as an assistant special teams coach and strength and conditioning coach.

Raekwon McMillan

McMillan, 24, has a high floor because at the very least he’s proven himself as a special teams player but has the upside to become a starting linebacker in the Eagles defense. The former second-round pick hasn’t been able to translate his athleticism into finding a meaningful role at the position yet, but his physical tools and relatively young age would suggest there’s still hope for the former Ohio State standout to put things together.

He spent his first two seasons with the Miami Dolphins and spent last season with the Raiders, playing 60% of Oakland’s special teams snaps. The Eagles should get T.J. Edwards and Alex Singleton back, but will need to search for upgrades this offseason. McMillan could be a low-commitment attempt at improving the position the team so frequently undervalues.

Eric Wilson

Wilson fits the bill as a modern, coverage linebacker and started 15 games for the Minnesota Vikings last season. One problem: He was quite bad against the run last year. According to PFF, he missed 20 tackles last season, which was one of the worst totals in the league. This could scare the Eagles off, but Wilson would still step in and arguably become the team’s best option on passing downs at the position. That alone might be worth taking a flier on the 26-year-old from Cincinnati.

Does the Kyle Rudolph release hurt Zach Ertz’s trade value? — from J.R. Willis (@thewillisfactor) on Twitter

Good question, J.R. The Vikings releasing Kyle Rudolph will certainly take one team off the market for a veteran tight end, but I’m not sure it will have too big an impact on Zach Ertz’s trade value. According to an NFL Network report, Rudolph’s release was expected around the league, so it’s not like teams who are interested in trading for Ertz were blindsided by the news.

Rudolph is a solid tight end and will generate interest, but teams interested in trading for Ertz likely view him through a slightly different lens. Ertz is almost exactly a year younger and had three straight seasons of elite play before a head-scratching 2020 riddled with injuries and a general lack of production. If you’re a team in on Ertz, you’re probably convincing yourself that injuries and poor quarterback play caused his struggles last season and he’s due for progression to the mean next year. Even in Ertz’s down year was incredibly similar to Rudolph’s. Ertz had 36 catches for one touchdown compared to Rudolph’s 33 catches for one score.

Considering Ertz’s past performances heavily outshining Rudolph’s, I think teams will still value Ertz higher.