Philadelphia Eagles: 15 best free agent acquisitions of all-time
By Randy Gurzi
The Philadelphia Eagles have made some great moves in free agency throughout their existence. Here are the 15 best signings they have made all-time.
One of the more storied teams in NFL history, the Philadelphia Eagles have been in existence since 1933. During that time, they’ve had some great players take the field, like the legendary Reggie White.
The star defensive end joined the Eagles back in 1985 when the USFL folded. He wasn’t technically a free agent, as he was drafted by the Eagles in the 1984 Supplemental Draft.
However, that doesn’t mean White wasn’t a huge free-agent piece later on, as he was one of the first players to ever start a huge bidding war. He left the Eagles and signed with the Green Bay Packers in 1993.
Watching their stud defensive end walk hurt the Eagles, but they have had their share of successes when it came to signing players away from other clubs during the free agency period.
Now, with 2019 NFL Free Agency set to begin on March 13, we look back over the years and select the top-15 free agent signings in Eagles history.
15. player. 54. . QB. (2006, 2009). Jeff Garcia
The Eagles twice employed backup quarterback Jeff Garcia, but it was his tenure in 2006 that really stood out. A former star with the San Francisco 49ers, Garcia had failed tenures with the Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions before joining the Eagles as a backup to Donovan McNabb.
Philadelphia knew they needed a better No. 2 after they had gone 1-6 without McNabb in 2005. They again needed a reserve in 2006, as a knee injury ended No. 5’s season early.
Garcia stepped in and the team didn’t miss a beat. At 36 years of age, Garcia took the Eagles to the playoffs with a 5-1 record as a starter. He completed nearly 62 percent of his passes for 1,309 yards and an incredible 10-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
He then led them to a win over the New York Giants in the postseason before losing to the New Orleans Saints the following week. His play led to him signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a starter the following season.
Before that deal was struck, there were reports he wanted to return to the Eagles, but there was a fear from the team that he could threaten McNabb’s job. Philadelphia wanted no part of a quarterback controversy.