Grading the Eagles' Moves in Free Agency
Howie Roseman has done more than many, including me, may have thought they would have done in the first three days of free agency.
After sounding the alarm last month that there was no way they could bring back all their free agents, the Eagles’ GM has done a good job of bringing back some key pieces and adding others.
Here are my grades for each personnel move:
SIGNED
RB Rashaad Penny: B+
Why: He has an injury history, but the price was right because of that injury history, but the injuries lower the grade.
Still, he’s exactly what the Eagles like – a north/south runner who doesn’t drift to the outside when something isn’t there. At 5-11, 220, the first thing that came to mind during his first press conference as an Eagle was just how big he is.
Just imagine what he can do if he somehow finds a way to stay healthy for all 17 games, and, playing in a three-back running back-by-committee, maybe he will play more than 10 games in a season, something he has yet to do in his career.
If he does, this grade becomes an ‘A.’
READ MORE: Rashaad Penny Arrives in Philadelphia for a Restart
CB Greedy Williams: B
Why: Another player battling an injury history, but whose grade could rise should he reach the potential that was there when the Browns drafted him in the second round. Unless the Eagles move him to safety, he may not get much of an opportunity on the outside if Darius Slay and James Bradberry stay healthy.
Still, he is a good insurance policy to have. Slay didn’t make it through a couple of games last year, so Williams could be the first player up, over Zech McPhearson, to step in. Last year, Williams played 42% of Cleveland’s special teams. It’s a role he could fill with the Eagles as they look to upgrade those units.
READ MORE: Greedy Williams Gives Eagles Youth Amid Veterans at ...
QB Marcus Mariota: B+
Why: Jalen Hurts has yet to play an entire regular season, so the Eagles needed a veteran backup. Drafting a QB on the third day or bringing one in as an undrafted free agent can still happen, but someone who has won games in the NFL on a team that has designs on getting back to the Super Bowl was a requirement, and the list of those was dwindling.
Mariota is better than Gardner Minshew. Maybe not a lot better, but better. He ability to run the ball will allow the Eagles’ offense to not morph as much if Mariota has to play. Minshew required some tweaks to that aspect of the game plan when he had to spell Hurts.
READ MORE: Eagles Agree on Deal with Marcus Mariota After Losing Gardner Minshew
RETURNING
DE Brandon Graham: A+
Why: Six million for a player coming off the first double-digit sack season of his career, who is well-liked in the locker room and by the fans, and is a leader on and off the field? Absolutely an ‘A.’
C Jason Kelce: A+
Why: The anchor of the best offensive line in football and like having a coach on the field? An ‘A’ all day long, no matter the salary.
CB James Bradberry: B+
Why: Not a fan of the contract and his ability to cover deep can sometimes be limited, but he is a pro on and off the field.
DT Fletcher Cox: B-
Why: For some reason, Cox doesn’t get the same amount of love from Eagles fans as Graham does, but he’s just as important. While $10M may sound like a lot, it’s difficult to put a price on leadership, and Cox is very good at that. He is also productive (seven sacks, 14 QB hits, 36 QB pressures in 2022) and maybe can be even more so if used properly in a rotation where his snaps are monitored.
RB Boston Scott: A-
Why: He accepts whatever role he is asked to do and does it well, and at a price that is easy to digest.
CB Darius Slay: C
Why: Maybe a tad low, but that’s because of the contract, though the structure of it remains a mystery. He is a great locker-room presence and a team captain who genuinely cares about his teammates. Still, he wore down a bit late last season, and the hope is that isn’t a sign of things to come.
LOST
(in order of importance to the Eagles)
DT Javon Hargrave (49ers)
LB T.J. Edwards (Bears)
S Marcus Epps (Raiders)
LB Kyzir White (Cardinals)
RB Miles Sanders (Panthers)
OL Andre Dillard (Titans)
QB Gardner Minshew (Colts)
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglestoday.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
