The Philadelphia Eagles big moves in 2023 backfired, resulting in the team experiencing a catastrophic collapse in the second half of the regular season. After experiencing playoff heartbreak, NFL free agency is on the horizon and these Eagles free agent targets could help the team rebound in 2024.
Philadelphia has plenty of needs on both sides of the ball. With center Jason Kelce likely retiring, center joins the list of Eagles team needs in 2024 along with linebacker, safety, cornerback, wide receiver and running back. Fortunately, NFL free agency should offer a few solutions to some of those problems.
- Philadelphia Eagles cap space 2024: $41.916 million
Let’s dive into our Eagles free agent targets for 2024.
Patrick Queen, linebacker
Thanks to college football, we’ve reached a point in the NFL where teams are better off not spending a first-round pick on an off-ball linebacker. That’s especially true for a 2024 NFL Draft class that isn’t particularly strong at the position. It’s also why the Eagles need to use NFL free agency to find their linebacker.
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Patrick Queen is the solution to Philadelphia’s woes at off-ball linebacker. The added bonus he brings to the table is his skills as a blitzer, but he also played some outstanding football both in coverage and as a run defender last season. There’s going to be a bidding war to land him and the Eagles might have to shell out a multi-year deal worth $17-plus million annually. For a team in win-now mode with immediate cap space and a glaring hole in the middle of their defense, now is the time to strike big and sign Queen.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson, defensive back
C.J. Gardner-Johnson tried to cash in on his strong 2022 campaign with the Eagles and it backfired. After a down year with the Detroit Lions, the versatile defensive back will need to rebuild his value in 2024. There’s no better place to do that than on the defense where he fits perfectly.
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Luck certainly played a part in Gardner-Johnson’s six interceptions in 2022, but that also requires instincts and knowing where he needs to be. Plus, the ability to play in the box, line up at free safety and shift to the slot made him even more valuable for Philadelphia. Gardner-Johnson should be a relatively cheap sign and a return to the Eagles feels like a good outcome for both sides.
Tony Pollard, running back
Even if Kelce retires, the Eagles offensive line is good enough to make average running backs look good and it can make good ball-carriers look great. D’Andre Swift and Miles Sanders have benefited from Philadelphia’s scheme and personnel in recent years. Next season, there could be an opportunity for Tony Pollard if the Eagles are willing to take a shot on him.
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This past season, Pollard delivered his second consecutive 1,000-yard season and added 311 receiving yards on 55 receptions. However, his yards per carry average plummeted from 5.2 in 2022 to 4.0 this past campaign. However, PPollard still broke off 11 breakaway runs (11th-most in the NFL) and evaded the 16th-most tackles (50). Considering he nearly matched Swift’s production behind a worse offensive line, Pollard could thrive as the primary rinning back in the Eagles’ offense and he could get two revenge games against Dallas.
Tyler Boyd, wide receiver
At least for the short-term, the Eagles are set with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith as one of the best wide receiver tandems in the NFL. While there’s a bit more uncertainty in the years to come, our focus is on the 2024 season and this Eagles offense needs a proven wideout who can get open underneath.
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Enter Tyler Boyd. Turning 30 years old in November, Boyd has played a variety of roles for the Cincinnati Bengals. At one point their No. 1 receiver, delivering consecutive 1,000-yard seasons (2018-’19), his best role these days is as a third pass-catching option.
In 2023, Boyd pulled in a 51.6 percent target rate on short throws (0-9 yards past the line of scrimmage), per Pro Football Focus. On those 47 targets, Boyd delivered an 80.9 percent catch rate with a 95.7 NFL QB rating when the ball came his way. That’s precisely what quarterback Jalen Hurts needs next season.
