Philly Front Office

As you get closer to the Eagles Novacare Complex, the song Push It to the Limit goes from faintly in the air, like it might just be stuck in your head for some reason, to clearly audible, to loud enough that you might actually want to go to the zoo to see a tiger. A van pulls up with sacks full of draft picks. Howie Roseman is inside wearing a white suit laughing on the phone as he fleeces another GM.

Things seem good and calm for the Eagles right now, but something might be brewing. After trading Bryce Huff this week, the Eagles now have 13 (!) draft picks in their coffers:

• Round 1
• Round 2
• Round 3
• Round 3 (Jets)
• Round 3 (Comp)
• Round 4
• Round 4 (Comp)
• Round 5
• Round 5 (49ers, could become a 4)
• Round 5 (Texans)
• Round 5 (Falcons)
• Round 5 (Comp)
• Round 7

They will also have about $28m in cap space left this season once Jihaad Campbell and Andrew Mukuba sign their rookie contracts. It is a common misconception that if you don’t use money, you lose it, but that is not true. That $28m (less any additional expenditures including practice squad) will roll over into next year’s salary cap allocation which is projected to be around $296m.

We have tons of picks and cap space.

2026 Eagles

Projecting out a year in the NFL sounds easier than it is. Things change so much between injuries and contracts that rosters have become pretty volatile. The Eagles have been pretty good at avoiding this, but who saw CJGJ getting traded after the Super Bowl? Anything can happen. That being said, as of right now, the 2026 team has a combined salary cap hit of $270m. This is without Nakobe Dean, Dallas Goedert, Reed Blankenship, Jahan Dotson, and any of the one year guys just signed. Everyone else is under contract. That’s a good thing not only for continuity, but because next year will be extension season.

If everything holds (barring a Reed Blankenship extension, it should), the 2026 Eagles should have around $50m in cap space. Sounds great right? Not so fast. Come the beginning of the next journey around the NFL sun, the Eagles will be looking to extend Nolan Smith and Jalen Carter. They should be AWESOME contracts than not only make them two of the highest paid players in the league, but their cap effects won’t be felt for a year or two. In ’27, Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell will also likely break the bank with extensions.

Top of the Market NFL Extensions and What They Mean for the Eagles

Then there’s Jalen Hurts. The mega- extension he signed a few years ago finally starts coming due in 2026. His ’26 cap number is around $32m and his ’27 is around $42m. He will also start falling further and further down the list of highest paid QBs. He will likely also get an extension (I’ll break that down another day).

The Eagles are already preparing for all of this. Every dollar they don’t spend now goes to paying those guys in the future. The Team philosophy is to pay great players, not good ones. That’s how this team has created a roster full of stars, rookies, and vets on minimum contracts looking to get back on the map or win. If you aren’t one of those, you aren’t on the team. There is a small window though to add someone to this core now.

What Do We Need?

I only see two positions that the Eagles might take a swing at: tight end and EDGE.  Dallas Goedert came back for this season, but it is surely his last one. Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt will start on the outside this year and Jihaad Campbell will likely get his turns, but it’s pretty thin. If the Eagles are going to make a move, it’s here. As per above, there is serious capital to make any deal happen. There is probably room for one deal. I would watch for these guys:

• Michael Mayer – TE Raiders – He is the most popular name on the Eagles market because the Raiders don’t need him and we need another tight end to possibly be TE1 next season. He is only entering his third season in the league and probably wants out of Las Vegas. Going to the Eagles could be his chance at stardom. It would probably only take a 4th or 5th round pick. Hey, I know one of those that could be either!
• Travon Walker – EDGE Jaguars – The final piece of the Bulldog puzzle. Walker went #1 overall and could be a future star or just a situational pass rusher. As a 2022 draftee, he is eligible for an extension. The Jags just changed over their whole team and might not be interested in giving him the extension he is looking for. He has had 10 and 11 sacks the last two years. They probably want a 1st for him, but might let him go for a 2nd.
• Tariq Woolen – CB Seahawks – The Seahawks have two great CBs in Woolen and Devon Witherspoon. Are they going to pay both of them? Woolen only has 1 season left and is extension eligible. They could wait and see one more year and risk losing him for nothing or pull the AJ Brown move of trading him now. I don’t see the Eagles paying for another CB with the other two coming in 2 years, but if the opportunity presents itself, Howie would pounce.
• Boye Mafe – EDGE Seahawks – Another guy extension eligible on a team that might not have enough money to pay everyone. Mafe seems to be like wat the Eagles wanted Bryce Huff to be. He’d cost a 3rd round pick probably.
• Kwity Paye – EDGE Colts – Paye is entering his 5th year option season, something neither the player nor the team particularly enjoys doing. Paye had 17 sacks the last two years and is about a year younger than most of his draft class. If the Colts planned on paying him they probably would have already.
• Trey Hendrickson – EDGE Bengals – The only reason he isn’t at the top of the list is because he is 30 years old. Two consecutive seasons of 17 sacks each and no contract extension in site could mean that the Bengals plan on moving him. It would probably take a first round pick to get him though.
• Jalen Ramsey and Jaire Alexander – CBs – Both are vets with contracts that their teams do not seem to want to pay anymore. They also might both be looking for new contracts. Most importantly though, both are still good. If the Eagles think they need another CB, then both would be possible though probably unlikely. Neither would cost as much as you think.

Is Jalen Ramsey realistic for the Eagles?

Prediction

The Eagles probably should make a move for a pass rusher. The team is one injury away from asking BG to come out of retirement and you can never have too many pass rushers. Trading for Walker or Hendrickson would be the biggest story of the off season. I don’t think it would happen, but Howie has the picks and the money to pull it off.

If not, then the picks and the money will still be there next year. For the draft think of two of one round being able to move into the middle of the previous round. For example, two of those 3rd round picks could probably get us a mid 2nd. Howie could be planning some of these consolidation trades. We have plenty of options right now.