Do you feel like the Philadelphia Eagles crushed the 2026 offseason? ESPN certainly does.
Analytics writer Seth Walder recently handed out offseason grades for all 32 teams and the Eagles finished at the very top of his report card with an “A.”
Only two other teams — the Los Angeles Chargers and Miami Dolphins — finished directly below the Birds with them each getting an “A-.”
Let’s take a look at Walder’s analysis.
Biggest move: Trading WR A.J. Brown Move I liked: Signing CB Riq Woolen Move I disliked:
Extending DT Jordan Davis
There’s a strong case to be made hiring Sean Mannion as their new offensive coordinator was the Eagles’ biggest move but the Brown trade was certainly a major one as well. Walder dove more into that departure:
As is often the case, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman was busy in the trade market this offseason. That meant the long-awaited and finally consummated Brown deal to the Patriots, netting Philadelphia a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. Losing Brown is a short-term knock, but it became clear his time as an Eagle was up and Philadelphia was able to flip him for a first-round selection — which comes with years of expected value — before Brown’s decline really set in.
The Eagles prepared for the loss of Brown by trading fifth- and sixth-round picks for Dontayvion Wicks and selecting Makai Lemon in the first round of the draft. I particularly like the Wicks acquisition. The former Packer has a 69 open score over the past three seasons — well above average — and perhaps has not fully realized his upside.
Trading Brown is no minor “short-term knock.” Yes, he had a down year in 2025, but it was still the 31st most receiving yards by an Eagles player in franchise history. You’ll also find his name first, second, and 22nd on that list from his previous three seasons. I’m reluctant to say he’s just not the same player anymore; I think he’s still got some really good football in him.
Of course, the situation here was untenable, so the Eagles realistically had to move on. And with that much being one of the worst kept secrets in the NFL, you can give Howie Roseman credit for ultimately landing a first-round pick for him. But the Eagles are undeniably a less talented team with Brown gone and their wide receiver outlook isn’t as great as it used to be.
Lemon might be good. It’s hard to say for sure at this point. The Eagles are going to be heavily relying upon him as a rookie. I think Wicks might be a nice contributor for this team; he might have some untapped potential. It’s also possible these moves don’t work out and it becomes clear that Brown’s production is sorely missed.
Even though Walder listed Woolen as his move that he liked, he got into the Jonathan Greenard trade before that.
The Eagles made another critical acquisition I was a fan of in trading for edge rusher Jonathan Greenard. High-end veterans have become so inflated on the trade market lately that I rarely believe the acquiring team is the winner in deals like this — but the Greenard trade was an exception. The Eagles land a player whose sack production was down (only three sacks in 12 games last season) but who consistently wins on a down-to-down basis (his 23.3% pass rush win rate at edge would have ranked fourth had he qualified). He fills a need after Philadelphia lost Jaelan Phillips in free agency, which will likely net them a third-round compensatory pick next year per OverTheCap.com.
I, too, am bullish on Greenard. I think he might be one of the more underrated players in the NFL. This is a guy with the seventh-most sacks in the NFL since 2023. Greenard generated the same number of pressures in 12 games last season that Josh Sweat did in 17 games, per Pro Football Focus charting. Greenard generated the second-most pressures among edge rushers in 2024, only behind … Myles Garrett. 2025 was a down year for Greenard but the Eagles bought relatively low from a trade compensation perspective. Betting on him to bounce back is a worthwhile gamble.
Now, to Woolen:
The Eagles also had one of my favorite free agency signings of the offseason, nabbing Woolen for one year and $12 million. Woolen is not considered among the game’s best corners despite metrics that suggest elite-level play. Over the past four seasons, Woolen ranks first among all cornerbacks with at least 500 coverage snaps in air yards allowed per coverage snap, just ahead of new teammate Quinyon Mitchell and Pat Surtain II.
I’m also a big fan of this move. A lot of teams go into free agency with the mindset of needing a player at a certain position, so they try to sign the top player at that spot. And sometimes that makes sense. But it also likely means overpaying. In Woolen’s case, I feel like Roseman didn’t go into free agency saying let’s sign a top cornerback at any cost. He let the market play out and realized Woolen could be had at a value. This was a “best player available” opportunity that we usually talk about as a draft strategy. Woolen had an awesome spring. The Eagles should have the best cornerback trio in the NFL, which is very exciting to think about.
Finally, a brief note on Davis:
My lone critique was the three-year, $78 million extension for Davis, which was a bit rich for a nose tackle. Davis is a good player against the run, but I need more pass rush to justify that type of contract.
Davis made a big leap last season and there’s an argument to be made that his contributions transcend traditional box score stats. I don’t think it’s unfair to hope for more sack production. I do think the Eagles are hoping he will continue to improve as opposed to merely plateauing from here on out.
Ultimately, I’m a little surprised the Eagles finished in the top spot. I don’t think they had a terrible offseason by any means; they made some moves to be excited about. But losing both A.J. Brown and Jeff Stoutland is hardly insignificant. In previous years, we all would’ve had those two guys among the top reasons for optimism about the team. The Eagles are also putting a lot of eggs in the Mannion basket, which may or may not work out.
Roseman has obviously earned the benefit of the doubt. And I’m guessing that much is influencing Walder’s grade. But I’m probably more in the B range than a straight A.
What say you?
Elsewhere in the NFC East, Walder handed out these grades:
- New York Giants: B+
- Dallas Cowboys: C+
- Washington Commanders: C+
Only five teams finished with worse marks than the Cowboys and Commanders. You can check out analysis of ESPN’s grade for Dallas at Blogging The Boys and for New York at Big Blue View.
