Philadelphia Eagles: 15 best free agent acquisitions of all-time

Coming out of Florida in 1999, Jevon Kearse was nicknamed “The Freak” due to his athleticism that was incredibly abnormal for his size. Measuring in just under 6-foot-5, Kearse was also a solid 262 pounds and played with plenty of power at the defensive end spot.

He was also one of the fastest players on the entire defensive side of the line of scrimmage. That was proven when he clocked in at 4.58 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the 1999 NFL Scouting Combine.

Kearse didn’t disappoint once the Tennessee Titans used their No. 16 pick on him, as he racked up 14.5 sacks as a rookie. He then followed that up with two more seasons with double-digit sacks. A foot injury slowed him in 2002, but 2003 saw “The Freak” resurface just in time to hit free agency.

That’s when the Eagles came in and offered up an eight-year contract worth $65 million ($16 million of which was guaranteed). Kearse never replicated his 10-plus sack seasons, but was still a factor on the Philadelphia defense. He recorded 7.5 quarterback takedowns in his first two seasons with the team, while also forcing five fumbles and swatting down 14 passes.

A knee injury in 2006 signaled the beginning of the end for him in The City of Brotherly Love, which couldn’t have come at a worse time. Kearse was off to his best start as a pro, with 3.5 sacks in the first two games before the injury. He then lost a lot of weight during his rehab and wasn’t the same when he returned in 2007.

Kearse was released following that season, but still gave the team everything they hoped for during the start of his contract. Had his knee injury never occurred, he would have been higher than this.