The Philadelphia Eagles' biggest move this offseason was trading A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots. The writing had been on the wall for months, but with that finally in the rearview mirror, the focus is on improving this roster to make a run in 2026.
While the cornerback back end is loaded with Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and Riq Woolen, they could use help in the safety room. They feel comfortable with Andrew Mukuba, although he fractured his ankle/fibula last season. Marcus Epps is the other safety expected to start, but the Eagles should inquire about Cleveland Browns safety Ronnie Hickman.
Eagles should make a call for Browns S Ronnie Hickman
The Browns are loaded at safety, with Grant Delpit and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren both expected to play significant roles in that secondary. Hickman is going into 2026 on a one-year restricted tender, so he will have extra motivation as he looks to get paid next offseason.
Hickman has been in Cleveland for the last three seasons, but 2025 was his breakout campaign. He started in all 17 games, logging 103 total tackles, seven pass deflections, and two interceptions. On Pro Football Focus, he finished with a 71.6 overall grade (21st among 98 graded safeties) and a 75.3 coverage grade (11th among 98 graded safeties).
Prior to 2025, Hickman was used more in a depth role, but last season showed that he can handle being on the field consistently, as he was an above-average starter. It's great that Hickman has the versatility to play both in the box and free safety, which would be an asset in Vic Fangio's system.
He was solid in coverage as well in 2025, giving up 19 catches (33 targets) for 244 receiving yards and one score. Hickman is only 24 years old and has a lot of football ahead of him. Howie Roseman is known for taking risks and making moves around the league, which is why the idea of trading for Hickman is enticing.
They lost Reed Blankenship in free agency to the Houston Texans, but didn't do much to replace him. Keeping Epps around would be smart, as he's a proven veteran who knows the system, but Hickman would be an upgrade over him.
The price tag for Hickman would likely be a fifth-rounder, and that's nothing compared to the quality of player they would get. He's also very young and would be able to grow with the rest of the secondary for the long haul.
Read more: Eagles found a way to get Patriots to up the offer for A.J. Brown trade
The Eagles always looking to get better and making a move for Hickman should be right up their alley.
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