April 04, 2016
On the first day of free agency almost a month ago, the Eagles came out guns blazing. They traded up from 13 to 8 in the draft with the Dolphins, and all they had to give up was Kiko Alonso and Byron Maxwell's terrible contract. They also rid themselves of DeMarco Murray while being able to the make another modest move up in the fourth round of the draft.
Oh, and they signed five players -- OG Brandon Brooks (formerly of the Texans), S Rodney McLeod (Rams), QB Chase Daniel (Chiefs), LB Nigel Bradham (Bills), and CB Ron Brooks (Bills).
All told, the Eagles added three projected starters, a backup quarterback, they got rid of two prohibitive contracts (as well as a malcontent player), and significantly improved their draft position.
For their efforts, we gave the Eagles very high grades for their early work in free agency, which is huge for Howie Roseman's brand, obviously.
Roster moves have since come in dribs and drabs, but let's grade their moves after that first day of free agency.
Mark Sanchez wasn't good. In 10 starts with the Eagles, he completed 257 of 400 passes for 3034 yards, 18 TDs, and 15 INTs.
There was no way the Eagles were going to keep Sanchez around after handing out lucrative deals to both Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel. Sanchez was set to count for $5.5 million against the cap in 2016. Had the Eagles released him, they would have saved $3.5 million of that. By trading him, they saved $4.5 million. That alone was incentive enough to trade him, but the Eagles will likely get a late-round pick from the Broncos in the process.
Grade: A
Carroll opened the 2015 season as a starter opposite Byron Maxwell, but was lost for the year with an ankle injury suffered during the Eagles' loss to the Lions on Thanksgiving. Carroll earned the starting job over rookie Eric Rowe during training camp, and played well under the direction of defensive backs coach Cory Undlin. He finished the season with 57 tackles, 10 pass breakups, and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown against the Giants. He was also widely regarded as a positive locker room influence.
Carroll with compete with a slew of other corners for a starting job. At a cap number of just over $2 million, assuming he'll be healthy, he's a bargain.
Grade: B
Givens had a very productive season as a rookie, but his career has been on a downward trajectory since. His numbers:
| Chris Givens | Rec | Yards | YPC | TD |
| 2012 | 42 | 698 | 16.6 | 3 |
| 2013 | 34 | 569 | 16.7 | 0 |
| 2014 | 11 | 159 | 14.5 | 1 |
| 2015 | 20 | 353 | 17.7 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 107 | 1779 | 16.6 | 5 |
The Eagles don't have much in the way of receivers who can stretch the field vertically. Givens ran a 4.41 40 at the 2012 Combine and he has a 16.6 yards per catch average for his career. He also has three years of experience playing alongside Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford.
With a paltry cap number of just $680,000 and a need for depth at receiver, why not?
Grade: B
Randle spent the first four seasons of his career with the Giants, posting the following numbers:
| Rueben Randle | Rec | Yards | YPC | TD |
| 2012 | 19 | 298 | 15.7 | 3 |
| 2013 | 41 | 611 | 14.9 | 6 |
| 2014 | 71 | 938 | 13.2 | 3 |
| 2015 | 57 | 797 | 14.0 | 8 |
| TOTAL | 188 | 2644 | 14.1 | 20 |
Randle has good size at 6'2, 208, and his numbers have generally gotten better as his career has progressed. However, he has also developed a reputation as a poor route runner, and was often blamed for some of Eli Manning's interceptions.
With a contract of just over a $1 million (it can escalate to over $3 million with incentives), Randle comes to the Eagles on the cheap. While he has talent, the concern with Randle is that he can torpedo an entire game with one dumb (or lazy) play. That should be less of a concern for an Eagles team not expected to compete for a Super Bowl. They can take a look at Randle for a year, and see how he fits in with a new coaching staff, and a new offense.
Grade: B
Super Bowl.
Heath Evans grade: A+++++++++++
Wisniewski gives the Eagles a guy who can compete for the starting LG spot, as well as provide depth for Jason Kelce at center. With David Molk having retired this offseason, the Eagles will need to have a backup center in place. At a minimum, Wisniewski will provide that, and would be an upgrade over the Eagles' 2015 LG, Allen Barbre, if the Eagles failed to find an immediate starter at guard in the draft.
With plenty of offseason remaining to add more offensive line help, the Eagles starting OL currently projects like this:
| LT | LG | C | RG | RT |
| Jason Peters | Stefen Wisniewski | Jason Kelce | Brandon Brooks | Lane Johnson |
Wisniewski is not Larry Allen. Let's be clear on that. However, for a team that desperately lacks interior OL depth, Wisniewski makes a ton of sense for the Eagles.
Grade: A-
In summary, Howie continues to chug along with an impressive offseason, stringing together one logical move after the next.
