Offensive free agents the Eagles could still go after

Posted on March 24, 2021

It’s been a week since free agency started, and the Eagles have signed just three players: Anthony Harris, Andrew Adams, and Joe Flacco.

The Eagles’ lack of activity was expected. After all, their cap situation isn’t ideal. But the Eagles cannot continue to sit by while their rivals get stronger.

There are still a number of free agents at various positions that would help to improve the Eagles on offense, and many of them won’t require Philadelphia to break to bank to nab them.

Tevin Coleman, RB

The running back room isn’t quite as much of a dire need as some other positions, but it wouldn’t hurt the Eagles to add there.

Many of the well-established RBs have already been scooped up, as have players that might have worked well in the Eagles’ new system (such as Marlon Mack).

One available name that sticks out is Tevin Coleman.

The Eagles have shown interest in Coleman before, specifically during the 2019 free agency period. Of course, at that time he was coming off a season where he rushed for 800 yards.

Coleman, 27, has since been plagued by injuries. In 2020, he only appeared in eight games (one start) and rushed for a putrid 53 yards in 28 attempts. That performance gave him a 1.9 YPC.

Yes, the poor play and injury concerns are two huge red flags. But those factors are what will make Coleman come on the cheap.

If Coleman is able to bounce back, he’ll give the Eagles a solid trio of running backs.

T.Y. Hilton, WR

T.Y. Hilton’s name has been linked to the Eagles many, many times over the past few months, and I’m continuing that trend. The wide receiver remains unsigned, and he’s exactly what the Eagles need.

Having an experienced presence cannot be undervalued. Let’s take a look at the current ages of the Eagles’ wide receivers:

  • Jalen Reagor: 22
  • Travis Fulgham: 25
  • Greg Ward: 25
  • John Hightower: 24
  • Quez Watkins: 22
  • JJ Arcega-Whiteside: 24

That’s an average age of around 23. The Eagles might also add Ja’Marr Chase in the draft, who’s 21. It’s good that the Eagles are getting younger, but they need veterans to help the youth learn. The 31-year-old Hilton would fill that role nicely.

In addition to getting that mentor, the Birds would also be getting a #1 or #2 receiver. Since entering the league in 2012, the four-time Pro-Bowler has accumulated 9,360 receiving yards and 50 touchdowns.

(AP Photo/AJ Mast)

While it seemed Hilton was on the downslide in 2019 after having just 501 yards, he rebounded in 2020, catching 56 receptions for 762 yards and five touchdowns. Not the most eye-popping numbers, but certainly still productive.

Hilton also has an obvious connection with Nick Sirianni, who was his OC from 2018-2020.

The big issue here is the money. Spotrac has Hilton’s market value listed at 3 years/$30 million, giving him around $10.1 million a season. Currently, the Eagles only have $2-3 million cap space available.

There are ways of creating more available space, which includes cuts, trades, extensions, and additional restructures. But those will take time, and Hilton might not be willing to wait. Additionally, a team whose playoff prospects look bleak isn’t the most appealing to a player like Hilton.

This target is a pipe dream, but there’s no doubt this would be the best signing the Eagles could make, for both now and the future.

Trey Burton, TE

When the Eagles eventually trade Zach Ertz, and if they don’t select Kyle Pitts at sixth overall, they’ll be needing second and third string tight ends behind Dallas Goedert.

A homecoming for Super Bowl LII star Trey Burton could be in order.

After failing to meet expectations in Chicago following a four-year, $32 million contract signing, Burton landed with the Colts in 2020. In 13 games (four started) Burton caught 36 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns.

Burton wouldn’t make any huge waves, but he would be a decent depth piece who has starting experience and is already familiar with Sirianni’s system.

Demarcus Robinson, WR

Even if Hilton is out of the Eagles’ price range, they still need to add another wide receiver. Former Chiefs receiver Demarcus Robinson could fit that bill. Like Coleman, the Eagles showed prior interest in Robinson last year before he eventually resigned with Kansas City on a one-year deal.

Robinson, 26, had 466 receiving yards and and three touchdowns in 16 games last season. The Florida product also had a career-high catch rate of 76.3%, catching 45 of his 59 targets.

Robinson would give Jalen Hurts a reliable weapon. That’s something greatly needed given the inconsistency that has made a home in the WR corps.

He wouldn’t be the most exciting signing, but he’d represent an upgrade over a good amount of the Eagles’ current receivers.

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Drew Rhoades

If there’s one thing you need to know about Drew Rhoades, it’s that he knows Philadelphia sports. A graduate from Saint Joseph’s University, Rhoades has previously written about Hawk sports for The Hawk Newspaper and covered baseball at Phillies Nation. In his spare time, he loves to volunteer at his local animal shelter and bike.

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