Heading into free agency, the Philadelphia Eagles were not expected to be heavy spenders.
Sure, they were expected to lose multiple good players in free agency, including almost half of their Super Bowl-winning starting defensive line, but replacing them? That would have to happen through re-signing their own player and the 2025 NFL Draft, as Howie Roseman wasn’t looking to load up on expensive players who could further bog down the payroll in the future.
And yet, through a week, it’s hard to argue with what Roseman and company are doing, as he’s found multiple good deals on the open market, including a pair of quality defensive ends in Azeez Ojulari and Josh Uche, a power back in AJ Dillon, a veteran cornerback in Adoree’ Jackson, two new tight ends, and a kick returner in Avery Williams who can play a little cornerback and running back if need be.
With the most expensive player added to the roster coming in at just $4 million, with Ojulari completing an all-Georgia line alongside Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, and Nolan Smith, the Eagles can sit back and enjoy the scouting process ahead of the 2025 edition of the NFL Draft, where the next generation of Birds will get to call Philadelphia home.
But before that can happen, the Eagles shouldn’t give up on free agency just yet. Why? Well, because as the Ojulari deal clearly proves, there are still good deals to be had in free agency, with some players becoming more and more willing to agree to a prove-it deal with each passing day.
If the Eagles want to add one more quality player before they hit the draft, they should probably look to do so at the safety position, as even if they feel confident in their depth heading into April, the team could still probably use one more performer under contract to really take things over the top.
The Eagles should look for a deal at safety
As things presently stand, the Eagles currently have five safeties under contract, according to their official website, expected starters Reed Blankenship and Sydney Brown plus Tristin McCollum, Lewis Cine, and Andre’ Sam. If the Eagles go into the 2025 season with those five players, they will probably be okay, but one has to assume Philadelphia will at least try to add some competition to the position grouping moving forward, as outside of Blankenship, none of those players are really proven NFL products.
Fortunately, there are a few very interesting options on the free agent market that could help to get that job done and allow the Eagles to truly go BPA in the 2025 NFL Draft, including a few with Eagles connections.
Take, for example, Justin Simmons, who became an All-Pro in Denver under the fine eye of Vic Fangio. Linked to his former coach last year before eventually signing with Atlanta, Simmons didn’t look like his former self with the Falcons, appearing in 16 games with 16 starts but failing to play up to his former standards. While Simmons was still fine, and could be a quality starter anywhere, considering his last deal was only worth $8 million, he could likely land on an even more team-friendly deal this season.
Fortunately, in an appearance on Talkin’ Ball with Pat Leonard, Simmons noted he would like to play in Philadelphia, as he would love to reunite with Fangio this fall.
“Having a chance to reunite with Vic and then also the defensive backs coach Christian Parker, he’s over there. I worked with him the last four years in Denver, and he was a huge piece of – obviously, there are a lot of rotating coaches and defensive coordinators, but he was a huge piece of the stability year-in and year-out. The terminology, the practices, there was a lot of familiarity with him. So there’s a lot of good things about Philly,” Simmons noted.
“Obviously, their offense is clearly one of the best in the league, their offensive line is unbelievable, but what that defense did this past season to go win that Super Bowl is crazy. Like watching those guys operate, you could tell the leadership there top down is by far one of the best in the league, so to have an opportunity to go play in Philly, especially reuniting with Vic and CP like we just talked about, is high on the list.”
Outside of Simmons, there are other options around the NFL, too, including Julian Blackmon, who shared a single season with Nick Sirianni in Indianapolis. While Blackmon isn’t as successful as Simmons, he is much younger and recorded ten interceptions over his run with the team. If the Eagles want a more short-term addition then yeah, Simmons might make more sense, but if the team would rather sign another prove-it player to basically audition for a long-term deal, bringing in Blackmon has far more long-term potential.
Don’t overlook Malaki Starks in the 2025 NFL Draft
Could the Eagles get away with bypassing the safety position in the 2025 NFL Draft? Sure, if they are able to add a veteran safety in free agency, they should be just fine, especially if they have an open competition next to Blankenship. But that doesn’t mean the Eagles need to bypass the position if they have a golden opportunity to lock up a long-term answer at the position moving forward.
For much of the offseason, Malaki Starks has been one of the more thoroughly debated players in this year’s class. Widely considered the best safety in the nation coming into the season, Starks didn’t play up to his previous standard in 2024, and after turning in a middle-of-the-road effort at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, is no lock to even be the first safety off the board, what with Nick Emmanwori turning in an all-time performance in Indianapolis.
With that being said, if Starks falls to Philadelphia at pick 32, which isn’t a guarantee but could very well happen, they shouldn’t allow him to become a second-round selection, as he could not only fill a need next to Blankenship on a cost-controlled deal for the next half-decade but has that Georgia seal of approval too.
Breaking down his professional potential for NFL.com, Lane Zierlein explained what makes Starks so interesting via his official draft profile.
“Three-year starter with reams of high-leverage games on his résumé. Starks is a versatile safety with the size and athleticism to eliminate contested catches and the speed and ball skills to shine when the action travels deep. Connection to the route is inconsistent in man and he’s baited out of position by misdirection, but better discipline and anticipation should clean that up,” Zierlein wrote.
“He’s not a true force player near the line, and his pursuit angles can be raggedy, but he gets guys down when he’s in position. Starks has feast-or-famine moments on tape and disappointed with his short-area testing at the NFL Scouting Combine. He ran well in Indianapolis, though, and was impressive in interviews with teams. He is a future starter as a movable back-end piece whose consistency will determine his floor/ceiling.”
With six Georgia players more-or-less locks to make the defensive rotation this fall, adding in a player like Starks next to Blankenship could solidify the secondary long-term while giving Fangio some much-needed optionality to deploy his players as he sees fit alongside movable performers like Zack Baun and Cooper DeJean. Though he may not play the highest-value position in the NFL, if Starks is the best player available when the Eagles pick in April, Philadelphia fans would quickly grow to love the Georgia product, as he’s the exact kind of defensive back they enjoy watching.
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