Eagles Howie Roseman May Rely On In-House Options To Replace Some Free Agents

Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman will find a way to maneuver the salary cap to sign some free agents, but some of his best options may come from players already on the roster.

Eagles General Manager Howie Roseman (center) holds a cigar high in the air during the team's Super Bowl championship parade on Friday February 14, 2025. / Damian Giletto/Delaware News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It’s never wise to underestimate what general manager Howie Roseman can do in free agency no matter how much or how little the Eagles have to spend. Right now, it’s not a lot. They are estimated to be at about $18 million underneath the current cap.

That will rise with some maneuvering by Roseman and when the NFL announces its salary cap before March 12, when trades and signings can become official at 4 p.m. The projection is the cap will climb to between $265 and $275M, which is a relatively modest increase of about $10M compared to the $30.6M increase from 2023 to 2024.

There just is much room right now for more than one in-house signing, and the expectation is the Eagles will try to make that linebacker Zack Baun.

After that, the offseason could be relatively quiet – save for maybe one-year deals here and there - as Roseman figures out a way to extend center Cam Jurgens, who will enter the final year of his rookie deal.

With that in mind, here is a look at potential in-house candidates who could possibly be ready for bigger roles to take over as some of the expected free agent departures begin to occur.

Free agent: Defensive lineman Milton Williams.

Replacement: Gabe Hall. The 6-6, 295-pound undrafted free agent out of Baylor last year spent the season on the practice squad. Could Vic Fangio find a role for him?

Mekhi Becton heads into an offseason of uncertainty after Eagles held their locker cleanout day four days after winning Super Bowl LIX. / Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

Free agent: Offensive lineman Mekhi Becton.

Replacement: Tyler Steen. Though the Eagles wouldn’t mind having Becton back, they won’t break the bank for him because Steen, a third-round pick from two years ago, is ready for a full-time role.

Free agent: Offensive tackle Fred Johnson.

Replacement: Laekin Vakalahi. He arrived last year from New Zealand via the league’s international pathway program and signed to a three-year contract with the Eagles. Vakalahi played in a junior rugby league in Brisbane before moving to Melbourne and switching to basketball.

Like Jordan Mailata, he came to football late and, at 6-5, 320, is raw, but could he be ready for a backup tackle role?

“I want to keep (Laekin) on his toes and make sure he knows it’s not all sunflowers and dandelions, but I really like what he can do,” said Mailata. “I think he can play here.”

Free agent: Defesive back Avonte Maddox.

Replacement: Lewis Cine. He played safety at the University of Georgia, and for the limited time he spent with the Vikings before a serious injury had them move on from their first-round pick in 2022. The Eagles signed him to their roster late in the year for a reason. They like him.

If he is healthy, he could play a role somewhere in the secondary, and Cine told me he has the versatility to play anywhere in the defensive backfield, like Maddox did. It will be up to Vic Fangio to see what position suits Cine best. Sort of like the Eagles defensive coordinator did with Zack Baun.

Sep 22, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Britain Covey (18) runs a pass back against New Orleans Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo (29) during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Free agent: Receiver Britain Covey.

Replacement: Ainias Smith. You could add Johnny Wilson here, but Wilson can’t return punts. He got more playing time this year and had eight snaps in the Super Bowl but dropped his only target. Smith didn’t see much action – just 96 snaps in the regular season and being inactive for all four postseason games. He had a touchdown in the regular-season finale against the Giants and could find a role as a punt returner if the Eagles want to let Cooper DeJean focus solely on defense and inside or outside on offense.

Free agent: Running back Kenny Gainwell.

Replacement: Will Shipley and Ty Davis-Price. Shipley, the rookie fourth-round pick, flashed in garbage time against the Commanders in the NFC title game and may be too good just to let him return kickoffs. Davis-Price was on the practice squad much of the year but was a third-round pick of the 49ers in 2022 after a strong career at LSU.

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