Eagles Free Agency Decisions

by Marc Narducci | Mar 6, 2026

As with any team, the Eagles won’t be able to bring back all their unrestricted free agents. The franchise tag closes on March 3. A franchise tag binds an unrestricted player to the team for one season and the salary will be based on the top five players at that position.

For instance, the Atlanta Falcons franchised tight end Kyle Pitts (a graduate of Archbishop Wood of the Philadelphia Catholic League). That means they will retain him for one year. NBC sports reported that the franchise tag for a tight end is approximately $15 million.

That might be important regarding the Eagles as we get to that in a bit.

According to Overthecap.com, the Eagles have about $13.6 million in cap space, which ranked 17^th in the NFL.

Even if the Eagles wanted to sign all their players, they wouldn’t be able to.

Here are the Eagles unrestricted free agents, according to ESPN.

S Reed Blankenship, TE Grant Calcaterra, LB Nakobe Dean, RB AJ Dillon, WR Jahan Dotson, S. Marcus Epps, TE Dallas Goedert, TE Kylen Granson, QB Sam Howell, CB Adoree’ Jackson, OT Fred Johnson, P Braden Mann, LB Azeez Ojulari, DE Ogbo Okoronkwo, LB Jaelan Phillips, OT Matt Pryor; C Brett Toth, De Joshua Uche.

The Big Ones

Tight end Dallas Goedert, safety Reed Blankenship and LB Jaelan Phillips and LB Nakobe Dean. Here is a look at all four.

Reed Blankenship

According to Spotrac.com, Blankenship had a $1.8 million cap hit for 2025. That isn’t exorbitant for a starting safety. He turns 27 in March and has played his entire career with the Eagles, appearing in 56 games, making 50 starts. Over the past three seasons he has started every game he has appeared in - 46. This was a key starter to the Super Bowl team from the 2024 season.

Blankenship will expected to get a major raise, but will it be to the Eagles’ liking?

Dallas Goedert

Goedert, who turned 31 in January, has spent his entire eight-year career with the Eagles. He is coming off his most productive season, at least scoring wise, with 60 receptions for 591 yards and 11 touchdowns. A year ago, he agreed to a reduced salary but still counted $10.7 million against the salary cap.

There has always been the feeling that he wasn’t utilized enough, and would some NFL team think that they can get more production from Goedert if he were used more in the passing game?

Would Goedert’s agent tell NFL teams that he is more productive than Pitts, who has 15 touchdown receptions in five seasons, just four more than Goedert had in 2025.

Either way, Goedert will likely be looking for that one big last contract. He might be a difficult player for the Eagles to hold onto.

Jaelin Phillips

Acquired in midseason from the Miami Dolphins, Phillips, who turns 27 in May, had two sacks in eight games with the Eagles. That doesn’t sound like much production, but he boosted the anemic pass rush when the Eagles acquired him. He is listed as a linebacker but is really an edge rusher. The Eagles no doubt would like to sign him, but likely won’t break the bank.

Nakobe Dean

Due to injury, Dean appeared in just 10 games last season, making eight starts, but he was very productive. He was hurt in the first playoff game during the 2024 season, but when he returned, Dean had 55 tackles and four sacks in 10 games and six tackles in the playoff loss against San Francisco.

Dean counted for just a $1.6 million cap hit so the key will be he affordable. Plus, there is last year’s first round pick Jihaad Campbell waiting in the wings.

The Eagles have plenty of other decisions, including whether they will trade receiver AJ Brown, but it will be interesting how many of their own unrestricted free agents they will sign.

The free agent signing period begins March 11 as the NFL offseason soon begins to take center stage.

Eagles No. 88 Dallas Goedert - Courtesy of the Philadelphia Eagles

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Author: Marc Narducci

Eagles Free Agency Decisions

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