After losing edge rusher Jaelan Phillips in free agency to the Carolina Panthers, the Philadelphia Eagles have been feeling the pressure of trying to find a proper replacement for him.
So far, the Eagles have signed Arnold Ebiketie and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, but more work is needed, as they are good enough to be starters at the level of Phillips. Bleacher Report writer Gary Davenport shared a list of one free agent each NFL team should sign, with former San Francisco 49ers defensive end Clelin Ferrell as the choice for the Eagles.
"The Eagles may have to settle for a low-risk gamble who has shown flashes but never come close to living up to his status as a top-five pick back in 2019. However, while Clelin Ferrell may carry the label of a draft bust, he's still just 28 years old and coming off arguably the best stretch of football of his career—four sacks in 233 snaps over eight games with the San Francisco 49ers last year."
Eagles told to sign Clelin Ferrell from free agency
Ferrell was the fourth overall pick of the Raiders back in 2019, but never lived up to the expectations the team had for him as he played four seasons there with just 10 sacks to show for it. Since then, he has played for three NFL teams with 10.5 sacks in the last three seasons.
The Eagles have shown that they are not afraid of adding depth at the edge rusher position, with Nolan Smith Jr. and Jalyx Hunt looking like the projected starters at the moment. Ebiketie and Tryon-Shoyinka will be solid backups for the team, but Ferrell could find more playing time than those two.
In reality, the Eagles have enough depth at the position and are probably good there, but don't have that elite edge rusher. They have looked at options like Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Jonathan Greenard in a trade and could also use the NFL Draft to find one.
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Ferrell isn't a bad option, but his projected market value is at $4.7 million, so it might be better to pass on him and find a starting-caliber defensive end.