Getty Broncos safety Will Parks is a hybrid player who would be a perfect fit for the Eagles in free agency.
The Eagles were quieter — not dead silent — but way quieter than anyone thought they would be on Day 1. So, what’s the catch?
GM Howie Roseman has gone on record saying he would be aggressive in both the draft and in free agency. Yet the Eagles walked away from Day 1 with only one confirmed bullet in the holster, and it seemed like an unexpected luxury (Javon Hargrave) at a luxurious position (defensive tackle).
In the process, the team seemingly missed out on four young playmakers by simply not pulling the trigger after Stefon Diggs and DeAndre Hopkins were both available in trades at reasonable asking prices. They also missed out on Byron Jones and James Bradberry at arguably their biggest position of need, cornerback.
But Roseman always has a plan, right? Maybe he’s looking to stack his roster with competitive second-tier guys over overpaying for one or two first-tier stars. It wouldn’t be the worst thing and if he is doing that, then he should start looking here:
Will Parks, Broncos
First and foremost, Parks is a Philly native who would relish a chance to play for the hometown team. He’s openly lobbied for it. Parks would fit a perfect niche in Philadelphia, a hybrid cornerback-safety who you could groom to succeed Malcolm Jenkins at safety or throw him out there on an island as your outside cornerback.
He has experience at playing both spots going back to his college days. The 25-year-could anchor the Eagles’ secondary for a long, long time. Parks would be a no-brainer, especially at $10 million a year.
And, Parks is actually in Philly right now, like right this second:
Robby Anderson, Jets
With Amari Cooper off the board and back in Dallas, the spotlight shines brightly on Anderson as the leading man. Cooper cashed out to the tune of $20 million per year (second-highest-paid receiver in football) and Anderson’s price just went up as he’s the best receiver left on the open market.
The Jets are reportedly targeting $10-$11 million to re-sign Anderson but he could probably demand $15 million per year since Cooper is off the board. Maybe the Eagles just swoop in now and offer $13 million. Anderson is very fast (4.34) and very young (26) and would be the perfect weapon for Carson Wentz.
With Amari Cooper signed for $20m APY, attention now shifts to Robby Anderson.
Re-signing him is a priority for the #Jets. Always has been. But his market might change things.
Jets will do $10-$11m.
It gets murky at $13m.
Walk-away might be $14, $15m.
Darius Slay, Lions
Pull off a blockbuster for Darius Slay and get him to Philadelphia. Seriously. He’s going somewhere as the Lions need to pay for those huge contracts they doled out to Halapoulivaati Vaitai ($50 million) and Jamie Collins ($30 million).
Slay wants to be the highest-paid-cornerback in football, a price tag now set at $16.5 million per year. It’s serious coinage for a 29-year-old shutdown cornerback, with minor hamstring issues. But now that Byron Jones, James Bradberry and Bradley Roby are all off the market, it’s probably the best shot at locking down the position. Would it break the bank? Bust it open.
Breshad Perriman, Buccaneers
A wide receiver still sitting out there after all those big fish got swallowed up — and he is legitimately the fastest guy in the field. Perriman was a track star who sprinted the 40-yard dash in 4.19 at his pro day. DeSean Jackson is very much a question mark coming off season-ending core muscle surgery (read: sports hernia) and the Eagles cannot keep hanging Carson Wentz out to dry with no weapons. Perriman’s ability to stretch the field will be a positive, either combined with Jackson or in place of. This is another easy move to make, maybe at a bargain price.
Mark Barron, Steelers
Yes, yes, we know. The Eagles never spend money on or waste high draft picks on linebackers. It’s true and it’s probably not going to change. Consider they did invest in the position, a unit that is set to trot out Nathan Gerry and T.J. Edwards as the starters with Duke Riley as the third. They need to go out and get a leader and Barron is 30 years old and comes from Pittsburgh.
Better yet, he’s coming off a two-year $12 million deal and could affordably fit in the Eagles’ budget. You could do worse than a guy who played in 15 games in 2019 and picked up 82 tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks, one interception and a forced fumble.
.@M_B_24 comes up with the clutch interception to stop the Bengals from capping off a strong drive!
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