Three free agents who make sense for the Eagles (version 2.0)

Once NFL free agency begins, the Eagles may want to sign a safety, slot wide receiver, or linebacker.

NFL free agency is right around the corner, and while the Philadelphia Eagles aren’t likely to go on a big shopping spree, they will have more money to spend than they did a year ago, when players left in droves. These three free agents make sense.

Kyle Dugger (27), S, Patriots (6’2″, 222)

Around the trade deadline, I heard from a few sources that the Eagles were interested in Panthers linebacker/safety hybrid Jeremy Chinn, but Chinn suffered a quad injury, effectively halting the Eagles’ chase.

Dugger is a linebacker/safety hybrid like Chinn, but he plays better. His stats over the last three seasons:

Dugger is a ball hawk and a strong run defender. He is projected to be one of the highest earning safeties on the open market.

If the Patriots franchise tag Dugger, it will cost them slightly more than $17 million, which seems improbable.

The Eagles are almost certain to add a safety, whether it’s a guy in his prime coming off their rookie contract or a seasoned Band-Aid on the decline of his career.

The Eagles’ case for the Band-Aid is that they believe Reed Blankenship and Sydney Brown represent the future of the position in Philadelphia. Brown tore his ACL in the final regular-season game against the Giants, and his health will be questioned until 2024 training camp. Adding a 30-year-old player, such as Eddie Jackson, would, in theory, give Brown more time to improve.

If you have any worries about Blankenship or Brown becoming the players the Eagles hope they will be, paying for a demonstrably good player in his prime makes sense. Both have shown promise, but neither has proven to be an effective NFL starter. Realistically, at least one of them is sure to disappoint.

If the Eagles add an already proven player like Dugger and all three of Dugger, Blankenship, and Brown develop, having three solid safeties would be a nice issue to have, even if it means not signing an expensive free agent. Vic Fangio could easily find plenty of playing time for all three players given Dugger’s versatility as a linebacker.

The Eagles attempted to add a top-tier safety in 2021, but they passed on players like Marcus Williams and Justin Reid. Otherwise, the last time they splurged on a free agent safety was Rodney McLeod, which paid off. Here are the inexpensive safeties the Eagles have signed since McLeod:

Noah Brown (28), WR, Texans (6’2″, 215)

Brown has been in the NFL for six seasons, and he took some time to develop into a good receiver.

In contrast to Quez Watkins, he took advantage of the possibilities that presented itself, as evidenced by the bottom tweet above.

In 2023, Brown’s snap ratio was roughly 40:60 slot vs. outside, indicating that he can do both. That’s an ideal ratio for the Eagles, especially since A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith also play in the slot.

Azeez Al-Shaair (26), Linebacker, Titans (6’2, 228)

Al-Shaair joined the 49ers as an undrafted free agent and started 48 games in his first four years. He left for Tennessee in free agency in 2023 and amassed 163 tackles, ranking fifth in the NFL. He is a run-and-hit WILL linebacker.

The Eagles need linebackers (#analysis), and Al-Shaair is a rising star nearing his prime.