The 2025 season is in the books. While an 11-6 record and an NFC East title is nothing to sneeze at, that Wild Card exit to the 49ers left a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth. Now comes the hard part.
Howie Roseman heads into the 2026 offseason with roughly $20 million in projected cap space and a laundry list of 19 pending free agents. The reality is simple: We can’t keep everyone. The “core” is getting expensive, and the bill is coming due.
Here is a straight-shooting look at who the Eagles need to lock up, and who they might have to show the door.
The “Must-Keeps” (Priority Re-Signs)
These are the guys you don’t let leave the building. They are too integral to the scheme or the locker room to replace easily.
1. Dallas Goedert (TE)
- The Situation: Goedert just turned 31, which is usually the “danger zone” for skill players, but he just posted arguably the best statistical season of his career with 11 touchdowns in 2025. He is Jalen Hurts’ security blanket.
- The Verdict: KEEP. You don’t create a hole at TE1 while trying to re-tool the offense. A 2-3 year deal that guarantees his money upfront but gives the Eagles an “out” by age 33 makes sense.
2. Jaelan Phillips (EDGE)
- The Situation: Acquired at the trade deadline, Phillips gave the pass rush a pulse when it was flatlining. He’s young enough to build around and fits the Vic Fangio-style defense perfectly.
- The Verdict: KEEP. Elite pass rushers don’t grow on trees. Letting him walk after giving up assets to get him would be malpractice. He will be expensive, but he’s the heir apparent on the edge.
3. Reed Blankenship (S)
- The Situation: The undrafted hero has solidified himself as a reliable starter. He isn’t a superstar, but he’s steady, smart, and a tackling machine.
- The Verdict: KEEP. Safety is a position where you can find value, but Blankenship shouldn’t break the bank. If he takes a “hometown discount” mid-tier deal, he stays. If he wants top-5 safety money, this changes to a “Let Go.”
The “Tough Goodbyes” (Cap Casualties & Walks)
These moves will hurt—either emotionally or on the depth chart—but they are necessary to balance the books.
1. Brandon Graham (DE)
- The Situation: The legend. The strip-sack hero. He’s 38 years old. He has defied Father Time longer than almost anyone, but the snap counts are dwindling.
- The Verdict: LET GO (Retirement). This feels like the end of the road. The Eagles need to get younger and faster on the edge. Ideally, BG rides off into the sunset with a retirement ceremony rather than playing elsewhere, but his time as a heavily-rotated starter is likely over.
2. Michael Carter II (CB)
- The Situation: Acquired from the Jets, Carter is a solid slot corner. However, his contract structure (inherited in the trade) reportedly balloons to a cap hit of over $10 million in 2026.
- The Verdict: LET GO (Cut/Trade). You simply cannot pay a slot corner $10M+ unless he is an All-Pro, especially with Cooper DeJean on the roster capable of playing inside. Cutting him frees up massive space to sign guys like Phillips.
3. Nakobe Dean (LB)
- The Situation: It’s been a rollercoaster. When healthy, he’s a missile. But he has struggled to stay on the field consistently for three years.
- The Verdict: LET GO. This is a classic “buyer beware.” Someone else might pay him for his potential. The Eagles have been burned waiting for him to stay healthy. Unless he comes back on a dirt-cheap “prove it” deal, Howie likely looks to the draft for a cheaper, more durable linebacker.
4. Jahan Dotson (WR)
- The Situation: He was supposed to be the over-qualified WR3, but his production was sporadic. With A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith eating up the target share (and the salary cap), WR3 is a luxury position.
- The Verdict: LET GO. The Eagles can find a WR3 in the 4th or 5th round of the draft who costs 1/10th of what Dotson will ask for on the open market.
The Wild Cards
A.J. Brown (WR)
There is always smoke around Brown in the offseason. Rumors of discontent surfaced again late in the year. Trading him would result in a massive dead cap hit, so it’s unlikely, but if the locker room vibes are off, Howie isn’t afraid of a blockbuster shakeup. Prediction: STAYS.
Joshua Uche (EDGE)
A situational pass rusher who had moments of brilliance. If his market is soft, he comes back. If a team desperate for sacks offers him starter money, he’s gone. Prediction: 50/50.
The Bottom Line
The 2026 Eagles will look different. The goal this offseason is to get younger on defense and cheaper on the margins. Expect Howie to let the “middle class” of the roster (Dean, Dotson, Uche) walk so he can pay the premium talent (Phillips, Goedert) and rely on his 8 draft picks to fill the holes.
