The Eagles have work to do.
You know it. I know it. Howie Roseman knows it. Everyone around the NFL has known it since the team walked off the field following a disappointing Wild Card Weekend loss to a banged-up San Francisco 49ers team.
Right now, all eyes are on the offensive side of the ball.
Will A.J. Brown stay or go? Are the Eagles prepared to draft a wide receiver early in the 2026 NFL Draft? Is it time to revamp the offensive line? How will Roseman rebuild the tight end room? Should the team invest in a young quarterback as a hedge on Jalen Hurts’ trajectory?
But the more I look at the roster, the more I see a big, sneaky need that could require big resources to fill.
Edge rusher.
In theory, the Eagles have a good base to build from: Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith.
I’m a fan of both players. Both are young. Both have flashed big upside. The Eagles could do far worse than entering 2026 with both players in starting roles. Hunt certainly deserves big snaps after the leap he took in 2025.
But the position feels… thin.
Smith, who looked like a star in the 2024 season and postseason, didn’t look himself last season. Maybe it was a lost offseason coming off major surgery following the Super Bowl. But we’re now talking about a player that has had multiple injury-filled seasons since being drafted in the first round in 2023.
Last year, Roseman had to spend a third-round pick on Jaelan Phillips to bolster the edge rusher. Now they might have to pay in the area of $20M annually to Phillips to retain him. Or they could dive into the open market for players like Trey Hendrickson, Khalil Mack, Odafe Oweh or Boye Mafe. There’s also the pie-in-the-sky idea of trading a haul for Maxx Crosby.
However Roseman does it, he needs more at a position that featured a 6.5-sack leader (Hunt) and a major drop off (Smith, Graham 3.0 each) after that.
The WIP Midday Show is live in Clearwater, Florida at Phillies spring training today and tomorrow. We have interviews planned with Justin Crawford, Don Mattingly, J.T. Realmuto and Zack Wheeler. Listen in on 94 WIP, Audacy and YouTube.
Go get Maxx.
Crosby could be to the defense what Saquon Barkley was to the offense in 2024. I talked about that on WIP Daily.
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