ESPN's Eagles Offseason Grade Is Too High (And Here's Why)

On the surface, the Philadelphia Eagles had a pretty good offseason.

The Eagles prepared for the inevitable trade of A.J. Brown. They acquired a better pass rusher than Jaelan Phillips in Jonathan Greenard, and added to their impressive secondary by signing Tariq Woolen to a one-year deal.

Good offseason right? Was it good enough to deserve an "A?"

ESPN's Seth Walder graded each of the 32 NFL team's offseasons, highlighting some of the best and worst moves since the season ended in February. The Eagles did have a good offseason, but it's hard to believe the team is better in 2026 without A.J. Brown on the roster.

The Eagles aren't better at wide receiver

Brown was a top-five wide receiver in the NFL, one of the most productive players in Eagles history. Replacing a player like Brown is tough, even if the Eagles have a good receiver in DeVonta Smith that is a WR1.

What about Smith's replacement at WR2? The Eagles are attempting to replace that production with a combination of Dontayvion Wicks, Makai Lemon, and Hollywood Brown. The wide receiver room is deeper, but is it better?

Absolutely not.

Wicks is going to get a tremendous opportunity to catch passes in the Eagles offense, but his production is a relative unknown. Lemon is a first-round pick, and what he'll do in year one is unknown. There's a lot of pressure to put on those two players to be productive receivers form the jump in the Eagles offense.

Brown is on a one-year deal. He'll provide value to the offense as a third option, a compliment to the passing game. Remember brown wasn't the Eagles' first choice, Darnell Mooney was.

A team is naturally going to be worst at a position by trading a top-five player at wide receiver. Even if you think Brown is a top-10 player, you're lying to yourself if you think trading away a top-10 player at any position makes that position better.

Are the Eagles better in the long term without Brown? Absolutely, since Brown didn't want to be in Philadelphia and the Eagles didn't have a lot of leverage in trading him due to his contract.

For 2026, they are not better. And that's okay.

With Brown, the Eagles are arguably the best team in the NFC. Without him, they are behind the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks. They are still a Super Bowl contender, but there's work to be done on the field.

Is the "A" grade fair?

The Eagles did have a good offseaosn, enough to warrant an "A" grade.

Jonathan Greenard is going to be a massive addition to that pass rush. Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith are significantly going to benefit from having Greenard in the fold, and Greenard is due for a bounce-back season.

Tariq Woolen may only be with the Eagles for a season, but he's a welcome addition to a pass defense that has been the best in the NFL the past two years. The Eagles have a CB2 that can line up opposite Quinyon Mitchell on the outside, something they have been seeking since they allowed Darius Slay to depart.

The Wicks trade could work out, but the Eagles are asking a lot out of him in year one. Lemon was a good draft pick too, but the same applies to him as it does to Wicks. Both players are good long-term bets, but asking them to be consistently productive in 2026 is a stretch.

If one or Wicks or Lemon are consistently productive in 2026, that's a major win for the Eagles.

Arnold Ebiketie was an underrated offseaosn move, a sthe Eagles are four-deep at pass rusher. There's an argument they are five-deep with A.J. Epenesa in the fold.

The acquisition of Andy Dalton created a surprising QB2 battle and the addition of Johnny Mundt does improve the tight end room. Mundt also gives rookie Eli Stowers time to develop.

Roseman also deserves credit for getting a 2028 first-round pick for Brown. A first-round pick is a first-round pick, and the Eagles may not have gotten it if the Patriots didn't want Brown as badly as he wanted to go there.

This was a very good offseason, but trading Brown does make this team worse in 2026. The Eagles still have a talented roster, with an elite defense that can win them a Super Bowl.

The "A" grade may be too high. The Eagles get an "A-" for the offseaosn, mainly because how the Brown situation played out.

There was nothing the Eagles could do since Brown wanted to leave, but it's hard to claim the Eagles are better by letting go a player of his talent. Brown's departure also gives the offense a lot of unknowns too.

Nothing wrong with an "A-."

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