Eagles Notebook: Birds still seeking an edge
Plus: Safety shuffle, A.J. Brown mantra, Stoutland around?
From the Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/y3pxffne
The Eagles are nibbling around the edges.
After he was unable to re-sign edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, who accepted a four-year, $120 million offer from the Carolina Panthers, general manager Howie Roseman has taken a couple half-measures to address the hole in the roster, hoping one of the moves pops.
The first was two weeks ago with Arnold Ebiketie, a former Temple and Penn State standout whom the Atlanta Falcons allowed to walk. The latest is Joe Tryon-Shoynka, 26, a former first-round pick by Tampa Bay. The Birds signed him to a one-year contract Sunday.
“At some point, you got to have parameters of what you would do, what you wouldn’t do,” Roseman said Sunday in Phoenix at the annual league meetings, referencing Phillips’ lucrative deal.
The team still has multiple avenues to address the position, but the moves so far have been modest: one-year, developmental players and the possibility of help arriving through the draft.
“We’re always looking at ways to add to the pass rush,” Roseman said. “That’s a premium position in this league. Sometimes those answers come in free agency, sometimes they come in the draft, sometimes they come through development.”
The 6-foot-5 Tryon-Shoyinka spent last year in Cleveland and Chicago. In five NFL seasons, he has 160 combined tackles and 15 sacks in 82 games (45 starts).
Roseman called the signing a typical offseason flier — a chance to see whether a talented but inconsistent player can rediscover his form.
“You’re always looking for upside,” Roseman said. “You’re always looking for guys that have traits and have shown flashes. Sometimes it clicks when they get into a different environment.”
The current edge group includes former first-round pick Nolan Smith and second-year rusher Jalyx Hunt. Whether Brandon Graham comes back again in a limited role remains to be seen. The front office still expects internal development to be part of the solution.
“We’ve got some young guys that we’re excited about,” coach Nick Sirianni said Monday. “Those guys continue to grow. And that’s the challenge every year — you want to add talent, but you also want to see the guys you drafted take the next step.”
Still, the Eagles know elite edge rushers rarely come cheap. The price tags this offseason have reflected that reality, with top players signing contracts well north of $20 million per year.
Roseman said the team considered several options but ultimately chose patience.
“You have to be disciplined,” he said. “Sometimes you’re aggressive, sometimes you’re patient. But the goal is always the same — build the best roster you can.”
The draft could ultimately provide the most realistic path.
Philadelphia owns multiple early picks and historically has not hesitated to invest heavily in the defensive line. The organization built its Super Bowl championship teams around relentless pass rushes, a philosophy that remains intact.
“Pass rush affects everything,” Sirianni said. “It affects the quarterback, it affects coverage, it affects the entire defense. When you can rush the passer, you make everybody better.”
That belief has shaped the Eagles’ roster construction for years — and likely will again.
“We’ll keep looking,” Roseman said. “We’re not done.”
‘Edgy’ Riq Woolen
Speaking of having an edge, newly acquired cornerback Tariq Woolen plays with one. Despite his talent, he led the Seattle Seahawks in penalties last season and nearly cost them a trip to the Super Bowl with a taunting flag in the NFC Championship Game.
But Sirianni likes him.
“I love his length, his speed, the competitiveness that he plays with,” Sirianni said. “He’s an edgy player. And we want edgy players. We want guys that play with that type of mentality.”
Sirianni emphasized that “edgy” doesn’t mean reckless — it means confident, aggressive and physical.
“There’s a difference between being careless and being edgy,” he said. “Edgy is playing aggressive, playing confident, playing with that swagger that good defenses have.”
The Eagles believe Woolen’s size and ball skills fit that approach. The former Pro Bowl corner recorded six interceptions as a rookie in Seattle and has built a reputation as one of the league’s most athletic defensive backs.
“When you watch him, you see a guy that attacks the football,” Sirianni said. “That’s what we want.”
Safety shuffle after Blankenship departure
The Eagles also continue to reshape their secondary after losing safety Reed Blankenship in free agency earlier this month.
Blankenship signed a three-year deal with the Houston Texans, leaving a hole next to last year’s high draft pick Andrew Mukuba.
Philadelphia’s immediate response was to bring back a familiar face. The team re-signed Marcus Epps to a one-year deal that gives the defense a veteran presence and a player who already understands the system.
Epps has started extensively in Philadelphia before and provides what the front office views as a dependable baseline while younger players develop.
Mukuba, meanwhile, is expected to take on a larger role after flashes during his rookie season before injuries sidelined him.
The Eagles also added veteran safety and special-teams standout J.T. Gray on a one-year deal.
Gray is primarily known for his special-teams work — he was an All-Pro earlier in his career — but he adds depth to a position that remains unsettled.
The group could still see additional competition through the draft, a route Roseman has frequently used to fill safety spots in recent years.
News and notes
● Roseman again deflected trade speculation involving star receiver A.J. Brown, offering a simple refrain reminiscent of Marshawn Lynch’s “I’m just here so I won’t get fined.”
“A.J. Brown is a member of the Eagles,” Roseman repeated. Sirianni basically echoed that line verbatim a day later.
● Sirianni seemed to pour cold water on any notion that former offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland would still be around the team this year, which right tackle Lane Johnson had floated on a recent podcast.
“Obviously, we moved on with our staff,” Sirianni said. “Really enjoying working with these guys. Obviously, love the guys that are no longer part of our staff. Always will have a relationship with those guys with everything they’ve done for our football team. But right now, we’re just focused on the upcoming year with this staff.”
Stoutland himself spoke about the idea on Nick Foles’ podcast in response to Johnson’s comments, saying he hadn’t heard anything from the Eagles and is enjoying his life right now.
● The Eagles raised some eyebrows when they reworked kicker Jake Elliott’s contract this offseason, ensuring he returns for the 2026 season after a rocky campaign last year (and some issues in 2024).
Roseman said the organization still has confidence in Elliott.
“I have a lot of faith in Jake,” Roseman said. “He’s been a big part of this team for a long time.”
Elliott signed a four-year contract extension in 2024 that runs through the 2028 season.
● The league meetings continue through Wednesday in Phoenix, with owners and executives discussing potential rule changes and other league business. Unlike last year, the tush push is not a topic of discussion.
Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.