The Philadelphia Eagles went into 2023 with very high expectations, and early on, it looked like they were about to fulfill them. The Eagles got off to a 10-1 start and appeared well on their way to representing the NFC in the Super Bowl for the second straight year. Then, something happened.
Philadelphia went on to lose five of their last six regular-season games to finish 11-6, making them the first team in NFL history to win 10 of their first 11 contests and not finish with 12 victories. They did make the playoffs, but only to get routed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round.
While something almost certainly transpired within the Eagles’ locker room to cause that type of funk, it’s also clear that the team had some personnel issues—particularly on the defensive end—that largely contributed to the second-half malaise.
Philly general manager Howie Roseman has tried to bolster the roster to the best of his ability this offseason, making some high-profile free-agent signings (hello, Saquon Barkley) while also putting together one heck of an NFL Draft. But in spite of the Eagles’ best efforts to patch things up, holes still remain.
All of the top free agents have already flown off the board considering free agency started nearly two months ago, but there are still some players out there who could almost certainly help Philadelphia heading into 2024.
Here are a few names for the Birds to consider as training camp approaches.
Much was made about the Eagles’ signing of edge rusher Bryce Huff back in March, as they made him the highest-paid undrafted player in NFL history. That came after Huff broke out with 10 sacks as a member of the New York Jets in 2023.
That’s all well and good, but many people seem to be forgetting that Philadelphia then traded fellow pass rusher Haason Reddick and also lost long-time defensive lineman Fletcher Cox to retirement. Going from Reddick to Huff is arguably a downgrade (although you can argue that Huff is ascending and Reddick may be descending), and losing Cox is tough, both from a production and a leadership perspective.
Philly’s defensive front could still use some work, and Calais Campbell is probably the best defensive lineman remaining on the open market.
Yes, Campbell is a dinosaur. He is 37 years old and has been in the NFL since 2008. However, he is still productive, as evidenced by the fact that he just posted 56 tackles and 6.5 sacks with the Atlanta Falcons this past season. Two years ago, he logged 36 tackles and 5.5 sacks for the Baltimore Ravens.
The days of Campbell registering double-digit sacks are probably over. He hasn’t done that since 2018 when he was with the Jacksonville Jaguars. But the Eagles wouldn’t need him to be that dominant. They would just need him to be a reliable rotation piece, and he showed in 2023 that he can definitely fill that role.
It’s not that Philadelphia is terrible in the trenches. Philly still has names like Josh Sweat and Jalen Carter, and Jordan Davis is still young and is obviously hoping to improve after a pretty poor 2023. But the Birds can use a seasoned veteran like Campbell, especially if Davis isn’t able to get himself in shape.
The Eagles ranked 31st in the NFL in passing defense last season, so addressing the secondary was obviously a huge necessity going into the offseason. Philadelphia doubled down on cornerbacks in the draft, selecting Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. They also signed versatile defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson in free agency.
However, you just can’t help but think Philly can use some more depth in their defensive backfield, particularly at safety.
That’s where Quandre Diggs comes into play.
Diggs was released by the Seattle Seahawks earlier this offseason, making him one of several former Pro Bowl safeties still without a home. The NFL seems to be minimizing the importance of the safety position, and while it may not be as imperative as cornerback, you still need good safeties in your secondary to stop the best aerial attacks in football.
It’s not like Diggs is a slouch, either. He made three straight Pro Bowl appearances between 2020 and 2022, racking up 14 interceptions between those three campaigns. His ball-hawking skills took a nosedive in 2023, as he logged just one pick, but he also posted 95 tackles.
Diggs is 31 years old, so it’s obvious that he is declining. No one would deny that. But would he bolster the Eagles’ defensive backfield? Almost definitely.
Philadelphia may be a bit gunshy about adding an aging safety after its Kevin Byard experience last season, but the team still needs to add another piece at the position. Diggs is one of the best remaining safeties available, so Philly may want to give him a call.
Justin Simmons – Safety
That brings us to the best remaining safety on the open market: Justin Simmons.
Simmons was released by the Denver Broncos in March in spite of making the Pro Bowl last season. Not only that, but Simmons was named a Second-Team All-Pro and has earned four Second-Team All-Pro selections over the last five years.
While he may be on the wrong side of 30, it’s pretty clear that Simmons still has something left in the tank. He should be able to find a home in the coming weeks (or months) and contribute in some way in 2024.
Why is Simmons still left out in the cold? We obviously can’t say for sure. Only Simmons and his agent know the answer, but it’s probably because he is either asking for too much money or he is waiting for the optimal situation with a contender.
The Eagles can definitely offer him a cushy job, and it would be wise of them to do so.
After all, how comfortable can Philadelphia truly feel with Gardner-Johnson, who played in just three games with the Detroit Lions last season due to injuries and has played in just 27 games overall the past three years? One of those campaigns came with Philly in 2022, so this is his second go-around with the club.
Not only that, but Reed Blankenship is not exactly a stalwart. He is young and showed improvement in 2023, but it seems hard to believe that the Eagles are 100 percent confident in Blankenship going into next season.
Simmons just seems like a natural fit here. He is a veteran who must be yearning to play for a legitimately good team. He has spent his entire career with the Broncos and has yet to make the playoffs, so Philadelphia would unquestionably be intriguing to him.
It would strongly behoove the Eagles to get in touch with Simmons, if they haven’t already.
