Much has been made about the guys the Philadelphia Eagles have lost so far this offseason.
Once the Super Bowl ended, it was understood that there was going to be some turnover throughout the offseason. It's unfortunate but also is what happens with a salary cap in place. The Eagles had the most talented roster in the game last year. Some of those guys already are on lucrative long-term deals. Others have been on cheap, rookie deals.
The Eagles can't afford to give every talented player long-term deals. Especially not all at the same time. This offseason the Eagles had Zack Baun, Mekhi Becton, Josh Sweat, and Milton Williams all going to free agency at the same time among others. Philadelphia gave Baun a new deal before he got there but the other three cashed in.
Becton got a $20 million deal from the Los Angeles Chargers, Sweat got a $76.4 million deal from the Arizona Cardinals, and Williams got a $104 million deal from the New England Patriots. That's a lot of money and the Eagles couldn't afford to do that and keep their other stars as well.
While this is the case, Marcus Mosher of The 33rd Team graded the top moves of the offseason and called Williams' deal with the Patriots a "fantastic move."
"Of course, he cashed in, signing a four-year, $104 million contract that made him one of the highest-paid defensive tackles in the league despite just 19 career starts," Mosher said. "However, this was a fantastic move by the Patriots, as they had plenty of cap space to spend and were able to reel in arguably the best defensive player on the market.
"New England’s roster desperately needed an influx of talent, and adding a pass rusher like Williams is a step in the right direction. They still need more playmakers on the defensive line, but Williams can be a force as a pass rusher in the right scheme. The Patriots gave Williams a big-time deal, but it’s worth it, especially considering how much money they had available to spend."
He's right. Williams was one of the most dominant free agents available at a premium position. The Patriots clearly had a need and a lot of money to spend. Now, they filled a major hole with a 26-year-old coming off a career-year and expected to be even better in 2025.
