Philadelphia Eagles' Free-Agent Signings: One-Year Lottery Tickets for Super Bowl?

PHILADELPHIA - Every year, general managers around the NFL sign a host of veteran players to one-year deals, hoping to squeeze another season of productivity en route to team success.

The more that hit increases the odds that things could become special. When it comes to the Philadelphia Eagles, you can rewind back to 2017 and the organization’s lone Super Bowl championship season when flyers on slot cornerback Patrick Robinson, defensive end Chris Long and running back LeGarrette Blount paid major dividends.

Howie Roseman made another dip into the 12-month market on Friday by signing veteran tight end C.J. Uzomah, a more-than-capable starter a few years ago in Cincinnati before signing a big-money, free-agent deal with the New York Jets.

Dec 18, 2022; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets tight end C.J. Uzomah (87) celebrates | Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

More blocker than receiver, the 6-6, 270-pound Uzomah arrives in Philadelphia with a nice opportunity after the former TE2 behind Dallas Goedert, Jack Stoll, was left untendered by the Eagles and signed with the rival New York Giants.

The competition for Uzomah, pre-draft at least, includes two more unproven commodities in Grant Calcaterra and Albert Okwuegbunam, players whose strength is receiving more than blocking.

If the Eagles want to duplicate the Goedert-Stoll dynamic, Uzomah, 31, should have a clear path to the 53-man roster because Stoll was a blocker first, enabling the coaches to use Goedert, who excels at both phases, more time as a flex receiver where the South Dakota State product sets himself apart as a difference-maker.

Two other players signed to one-year deals have an even better chance to play than Uzomah.

Off-ball linebacker Devin White, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, had some highs in Tampa Bay but far more lows in recent seasons and arrived for his second chance as a penciled-in starter on perhaps the weakest position on the Eagles’ roster.

A Day 1-2 pick in this month’s draft could quickly change that but White, 26, is guaranteed $3.5 million so it’s clear Philadelphia wants him to restart his career in a big way. Perhaps veteran defensive coordinator Viv Fangio can tap into the physical gifts that NFL teams valued so much in 2019 when White was coming out of LSU.

The other player is already well-known to the Eagles: slot CB Avonte Maddox.

Maddox has been one of the better nickel corners in the NFL to the point he signed a big-money extension by the Eagles in November of 2021. After missing 22 games over the past two seasons with an assortment of injuries Maddox, 28, didn’t see the final year of that deal and was a salary-cap casualty back in March.

When the open market didn’t beat fruit for Maddox he returned to Philadelphia on a one-year. $2M deal with $875K guaranteed. He's got nominal competition including fellow one-year hopeful Tyler Hall but Maddox is a proven commodity who just needs the worm to turn when it comes to his health.

If these three players hit for Roseman like the 2017 trio, it could be the difference between a playoff contender and a legitimate Super Bowl hopeful.