This offseason might be one of the most important ones in years for the Philadelphia Eagles, as it will shape how the next five years look for the franchise.
There are so many storylines the Eagles need to address first, from their offense getting all the attention. Philly needs to figure out whether they want to trade away wide receiver A.J. Brown or keep him for 2026, as well as wait on right tackle Lane Johnson to decide on playing or retirement. Oh, and fill that offensive coordinator role they are having trouble with.
ESPN Eagles reporter Tim McManus shared the secondary priority for the team after the team takes care of the offense. McManus reports that the Eagles need to look at three defensive starters set to become free agents.
"Navigate some tough decisions on defense. Three key contributors in edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, linebacker Nakobe Dean and safety Reed Blankenship are set to hit free agency. General manager Howie Roseman likely won't sign them all, especially with Jalen Carter and others in line for big paydays in the near future."
Will Howie Roseman be able to sign all the top three Eagles free agents?
The one signing who feels most certain of the three is Reed Blankenship, as he might end up being the cheapest and is important to the secondary. This is a young Eagles secondary with Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and Andrew Mukuba, so having a veteran leader like Blankenship back there would be a good thing for Philly.
Phillips is the most important one of the three, but also the most expensive. He singlehandedly helped the Eagles go from one of the worst pass-rushing units in the NFL halfway through the 2025 season to one of the best at the end of the season, so Phillips is going to be needed for the defense to stay that way. The question is whether Roseman can afford to bring him back.
Dean has the biggest question mark over his head, with injuries throughout his career being the main issue. He has missed 21 games in the last three years with the Eagles, and the emergence of rookie first-round pick Jihaad Campbell might help Roseman decide to pick Campbell over Dean as a starter.
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No one is envious of Roseman with the tough decisions to make, but he has been good at knowing when to move on from a player and when to keep them, so Eagles fans will trust whatever his decision is.