After winning the Super Bowl in 2024, the Philadelphia Eagles had a very disappointing 2025 season. They made the playoffs, but their offense looked like a shell of themselves, and they were bounced in the first round of the playoffs.

For most franchises, a playoff berth is something to celebrate, but not for Philadelphia. They expect more. Here’s how they can get back to being Super Bowl contenders in 2026.

Roster Management & Trades

The Eagles enter free agency with $13 million to spend, so I had to make a few moves to create some cap space before free agency.

First, I had to cut some players. The biggest name I let walk was CB Michael Carter, whom the Eagles traded for last season. He hardly played in 2025, and saved me $8.9 million in cap space, so it was a no-brainer. I also let S Sydney Brown and WR Quez Watkins walk, saving another $2.7 million.

Next up was a few restructures. By changing QB Jalen Hurts, OT Lane Johnson, and OT Jordan Mailata’s contracts, I was able to save another $31.1 million, bringing my cap total to $55.7 million. But I wasn’t done clearing the cap.

A.J. Brown is not happy in Philadelphia, and I know we’ve been saying it forever, but it feels like he might actually get dealt before the draft, so I traded him to New England for picks 31, 95, and a 2027 4th-round pick. This move saved another $23.1 million, giving me $78.8 million to work with in free agency.

Free Agency

Before I got to spending big, I had to bring back a handful of players to fill out the depth chart. I re-signed WR Jahan Dotson, DE Azeez Ojulari, OL Matt Pryor, CB Adoree Jackson and S Marcus Epps to one-year deals worth a total of $11 million.

After that, I also brought back a major piece of the Eagles’ defense, re-signing S Reed Blankenship to a three-year deal worth $9.33 million per season.

With $58.5 million left in the bank, there were still some holes to fill.

With Jaelan Phillips leaving for Carolina, I signed DE Trey Hendrickson to a three-year deal worth $29 million per season (backloaded to $25 million in 2026).

He’s 31 years old, but he’s still one of the best pass rushers in the league and can fill a massive hole at pass rusher for the Eagles.

Starting with tight end, after letting Dallas Goedert walk, I brought in Noah Fant on a two-year deal worth $3.8 million per season. He’s an experienced tight end with less receiving upside than Goedert, but I got him for a fraction of the cost.

I also brought in two more offensive players: WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and OT Lucas Niang. Westbrook-Ikhine was really solid in Tennessee before he was a non-factor in Miami last year, but I still believe he can give you 300+ yards and a few touchdowns. Niang won’t be a starter, but he was a cheap backup option at tackle. In total, these two cost me $4.3 million.

Defense is where I spent the most money this offseason. Bringing Phillips back was big, but the Eagles still need to add another piece to their pass rush, so I signed Boye Mafe to a three-year deal worth $11 million per season. He, Phillips, and Nolan Smith can do a lot of damage off the edge.

I also made a couple of additions in the secondary, signing S Jaquan Brisker and CB Benjamin St. Juste. Brisker has a ton of upside but hasn’t quite reached his potential. St. Juste is an underrated corner that can step in next to Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell and be successful. In total, these two cost me $11 million this season by backloading both of their contracts.

Now, it’s time for the draft.

NFL Draft

The Eagles have a boatload of picks in this draft, especially after the trade I made with New England, which netted me two picks in the first three rounds.

With my two first-round picks, I added OT Kadyn Proctor and WR Omar Cooper. Proctor has a ton of upside, but could benefit from sitting behind someone like Lane Johnson for a year before taking over in 2027. Cooper has seen his name shoot up draft boards after the NFL Combine, and he can step in next to DeVonta Smith as the Eagles’ WR2.

I feel alright about Noah Fant, but I wanted to add another tight end in the draft, so I went out and selected Eli Stowers in the second round. He’s an elite receiving threat at tight end and could fill the hole left by Goedert.

With my three third-rounders, I drafted S Kamari Ramsey, WR Skyler Bell and OL Brian Parker. Ramsey has a ton of upside at safety and can be a rotation player as a rookie. Bell is one of my favorite receivers in the draft who had a ton of production at UConn. Parker can play pretty much every position on the OL, so he can provide depth and possibly even start in the near future.

In round four, I added depth to two key offensive positions, drafting TE Eli Raridon and RB Nick Singleton. Raridon is one of the best blocking tight ends in the draft, so he can make up for Stowers’ deficiencies as a blocker, while Singleton can be a solid backup to Saquon Barkley.

Finally, with my two fifth-rounders, I selected DE Caden Curry and DT DeMont Capehart. Both guys played in a Power Five conference and produced, so they can provide some depth to the defensive line.

Starting Lineup

Here’s what the Eagles’ starting lineup would look like in 2026 with the changes I made.

Offense

QB: Jalen Hurts

RB: Saquon Barkley

WR: DeVonta Smith, Omar Cooper, Skyler Bell/Nick Westbrook-Ikhine

TE: Noah Fant, Eli Stowers

OL: Lane Johnson, Tyler Steen, Cam Jurgens, Landon Dickerson, Jordan Mailata

Offensively, I lose A.J. Brown, but I like the addition of Cooper, Bell, and Westbrook-Ikhine. It’s hard to find a player of Brown’s level, but I think all three of these guys could replace his production. I also like the changes I made at tight end, bringing in some good receivers and blockers. You also can’t forget the depth I added. Nick Singleton, Kadyn Proctor, and Eli Raridon can all play a very important role for this team.

Defense

DL: Trey Hendrickson, Boye Mafe/Nolan Smith, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis

LB: Zach Baun, Jeremiah Trotter, Jihaad Campbell

CB: Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Benjamin St. Juste

S: Jaquan Brisker, Reed Blankenship

Defensively, the Eagles needed a lot of help off the edge, so I re-signed one of the best young pass rushers in the league, Jaelan Phillips, but also added Boye Mafe from Seattle. Those two should instantly improve the Eagles’ pass rush, especially with Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter inside.

In the secondary, the Eagles needed a new starting safety as well as some corner depth, so I signed a high-upside safety in Jaquan Brisker and an underrated corner in Benjamin St. Juste.

I also like the depth I added with guys like Kamari Ramsey, Caden Curry, and DeMont Capehart.

I think I fixed the Eagles’ two biggest issues. Offensively, I think the pass game should be better. Yes, they lost one of the best WRs in the league, but now you don’t have to worry about forcing him the football, and I replaced him with two promising young talents. I also think the TE position got a major upgrade with Stowers.

Defensively, their pass rush should be much improved. Phillips should be able to convert more of his pressures to sacks, and Mafe can step in with Nolan Smith and provide another threat on the other side of the defensive line.

This is a roster that could challenge for a Super Bowl, especially if their play calling is improved.