ESPN’s Seth Walder thinks the Eagles did the best offseason work of any team in the NFL, and he backed it up with a straight “A” for Philadelphia in his 2026 grades.
That put the Eagles ahead of every other club in his rankings. The only teams even close were the Chargers and Dolphins, who each came in with an “A-.”
Walder’s evaluation centered on a few major Eagles moves, starting with the trade of A.J. Brown to the Patriots. Philadelphia sent Brown to New England and got back a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick, a return Walder viewed as a smart piece of business for a player whose future with the team had clearly run its course.
As Walder put it, “As is often the case, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman was busy in the trade market this offseason. That meant the long-awaited and finally consummated Brown deal to the Patriots, netting Philadelphia a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. Losing Brown is a short-term knock, but it became clear his time as an Eagle was up and Philadelphia was able to flip him for a first-round selection -- which comes with years of expected value -- before Brown’s decline really set in.”
Philadelphia tried to soften that loss by trading fifth- and sixth-round picks for Dontayvion Wicks and then taking Makai Lemon in the first round of the draft. Walder especially liked the Wicks addition, pointing to a 69 open score over the last three seasons and the idea that he still may have more to give.
There’s no question the Eagles are thinner at receiver without Brown. Even with a down 2025 season, he still finished with the 31st most receiving yards by an Eagles player in franchise history, and his earlier production still stands out on that list.
The issue, though, was the situation itself, and the Eagles clearly decided it was time to move on. They also got a first-round pick for him, which was a strong outcome once the split became inevitable.
Another move Walder liked was the trade for edge rusher Jonathan Greenard. He called it an exception to the usual high-price, high-risk trade market for veteran players. Greenard’s sack total dropped to three in 12 games last season, but Walder emphasized the underlying pressure numbers, including a 23.3% pass rush win rate at edge that would have ranked fourth if he qualified.
The move also filled a need after Philadelphia lost Jaelan Phillips in free agency, a departure that is expected to bring back a third-round compensatory pick next year, per OverTheCap.com.
Greenard’s case is easy to make. He has the seventh-most sacks in the NFL since 2023, and Pro Football Focus charting had him producing the same number of pressures in 12 games last season that Josh Sweat had in 17.
In 2024, Greenard finished second in pressures among edge rushers, behind only Myles Garrett. The Eagles got him at a reasonable trade cost, which makes the bet on a rebound look even better.
Walder was also high on the Eagles’ free-agent deal for Woolen, who signed for one year and $12 million. He pointed out that Woolen isn’t generally viewed as one of the league’s top corners, even though the numbers say he’s been playing at an elite level. Over the last four seasons, he ranks first among cornerbacks with at least 500 coverage snaps in air yards allowed per coverage snap, narrowly ahead of Quinyon Mitchell and Pat Surtain II.
Walder said Roseman let the market come to him instead of forcing a splash at any cost, and that approach led to what he called a value opportunity. Woolen had an awesome spring, and Walder believes Philadelphia could end up with the best cornerback trio in the NFL.
The one part of the offseason Walder questioned was the three-year, $78 million extension for Davis. He called it expensive for a nose tackle and said he wanted more pass rush to fully justify the deal.
Davis, though, took a major step forward last season, and there’s at least an argument that his value goes beyond what shows up in standard stats. The Eagles are clearly counting on him to keep climbing rather than settling in.
Even with all of that, Walder still sounded a little surprised to have Philadelphia at No. 1 overall. He acknowledged the team made several moves worth liking, but he also noted that losing both A.J.
Brown and Jeff Stoutland is not a small thing. He added that the Eagles are placing a lot of faith in the Mannion hire, which may or may not pay off.
Roseman’s track record probably played a big role in the final grade. Walder said that while he gave the Eagles an “A,” he personally sees them more in the B range than a clean top-mark offseason.
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