The media was dying from the silence that hovered over the Philadelphia Eagles' facility this offseason, as they lacked the big-time moves everyone had grown accustomed to seeing over the last few years. Some in the media appreciated it more than others.
ESPN writer Seth Walder graded every team's offseason, assigning the Eagles a B+. Walder first praised the new contract with linebacker Zack Baun.
"At $17 million per year, Baun's deal is expensive but far from top of the linebacker market: Fred Warner and Shaquille Leonard's 2021 contracts were worth $29 million and $30 million, respectively, in 2025 money when adjusting for cap inflation. Plus, Jamien Sherwood and Nick Bolton each signed for $15 million per year this offseason. They're good linebackers, but I'd pay $2 million more per season to sign Baun any day of the week."
One trade that Walder wasn't as fond of was the C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Kenyon Green trade with the Houston Texans. On the other hand, Walder appreciated the trades involving backup quarterbacks with the Cleveland Browns and the Bryce Huff move to the San Francisco 49ers.
"I was not a fan of flipping Gardner-Johnson and a sixth-round pick to the Texans for Green and a 2026 fifth-round pick. On the other hand, they did very well to get a fifth-round pick and backup quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson from the Browns in exchange for fellow QB Kenny Pickett. And I thought the deal sending Bryce Huff to the 49ers was a win-win considering Huff clearly didn't fit in Philadelphia."
Overall view of Eagles' 2025 offseason
With all things considered, the Eagles had as good of an offseason as a fan could ask for. The biggest thing was the team identifying who would be the future of the franchise and which veterans were worth keeping.
On offense, while Mekhi Becton had a great season in the midnight green, Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland is a master at developing talent. Tyler Steen has been on the team long enough that he's ready for his moment to play with the best line in the NFL.
Defense was where the most roster turnover came. Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean's breakout rookie seasons made it easy for the team to move on from Darius Slay, Gardner-Johnson, James Bradberry, and Avonte Maddox. Josh Sweat and Milton Williams would have been tough to bring both back as they were way too expensive, but defensive tackle is already rock solid with Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter and Jalyx Hunt is ready to take over for Sweat, Huff, and Brandon Graham.
Philly had to be careful where they put their money this offseason as they got good deals on their extensions with Baun, Saquon Barkley, and Cam Jurgens. Guys like Carter, Mitchell, and DeJean are going to command a lot of money in the next few offseasons. Reed Blankenship is another player who must get a contract extension before or after the 2025 season.
Not every offseason needs to be filled with splashy moves. The Eagles did exactly what they needed to in order to set themselves up for the future. They are good position to return to the Super Bowl for the next few years.
