Eagles free agency: One player worth poaching from every AFC team
There’s been a power shift in the AFC East, but this division is always stocked with talent.
Everything changes at some point. All of a sudden, the New England Patriots are in the NFL’s cellar, the Buffalo Bills are the cream of the AFC East’s crop, and the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets appear to be teams on the rise.
This is an important offseason for all four. Step number one is ensuring they hold on to as many of their best players as possible.
This is the NFL though. No one can hang on to everyone. Perhaps one of these teams’ losses can be an Eagles’ gain.
Tremaine Edmunds, linebacker, Buffalo Bills
It would take all of Howie Roseman’s magic to pull this off. Perhaps the best linebacker entering free agency’s pool not named Lavonte David, Tremaine Edmunds improved his coverage skills last season. He’s always been an excellent tackler.
Byron Jones, cornerback, Miami Dolphins
During the 2020 offseason, the top two cornerbacks in free agency were Byron Jones and James Bradberry. The Eagles didn’t land either one of them but executed a trade to Bring in Darius Slay. Two years later, Slay and Bradberry wound up as teammates.
Bradberry’s future with Philly is in question. Jones missed last season following an ankle procedure. Now, he might be a less expensive option for Philly if the Dolphins move in another direction.
Jonathan Jones, cornerback, New England Patriots
Are you sensing a pattern here? The decision the Eagles make on Bradberry will influence much that comes after. With that being said, we’re eyeing all of the great cornerbacks that might be available.
Sheldon Rankins, defensive tackle, New York Jets
Your list may differ, but on ours, we rank Javon Hargrave, Daron Payne, Dre’Mont Jones, Zach Allen, Davis Onyemata, and Latty Ogunjobi slightly ahead of Sheldon Rankins. That to us means that the Eagles might be able to land Rankins at a discount if they have an interest.
We’d rather hang on to Hargrave, but we’ll see what happens.