Howie Roseman never really sits still, and this offseason was another reminder of that. The Eagles leaned into the usual Roseman formula - trades, free-agent swings, a little bit of risk sprinkled across the roster - and five weeks into the season, the results have been mixed.
Some of the bets have already paid off. Others have gone nowhere fast.
The clearest early win might be at receiver, where Dontayvion Wicks has been forced into a much bigger role than anyone planned. With DeVonta Smith injured, Wicks has become Philadelphia’s top target, and he leads the team in targets, receiving yards and total EPA generated over the first five weeks.
It’s hardly the ideal setup for the offense, but he has at least kept things afloat. The Eagles sent two late-round picks to the Green Bay Packers in April for him, and based on what he’s produced so far, that price doesn’t look painful.
Another offseason swing that has worked out is the one for edge rusher Jonathan Greenard. Injuries have limited him, but when he’s been on the field, he’s been wrecking plays.
In just 29 pass-rush snaps, he has five pressures. The sack total hasn’t shown up yet, but the disruption absolutely has.
Once he gets into a fuller workload, the Eagles should have the kind of dynamic edge defender they were targeting when they made the trade.
The third early success is at cornerback, where Riq Woolen was brought in on a one-year “prove-it” deal because the Eagles knew they needed another starting outside corner after the 2025 season. He hasn’t played like a shutdown corner, but he has still been a clear upgrade over what Philadelphia had there last year. Even if he’s not back after this contract runs out, the addition has already mattered.
Not every move has landed.
Marquise Brown was supposed to be a useful receiver addition, but so far he’s been stuck on the sidelines or out of the picture. He played only in the Week 3 win over the Tennessee Titans and didn’t draw a single target in that game.
Since then, an ankle injury has kept him out for multiple weeks. The Eagles gave him $5 million after a major injury with the Kansas City Chiefs, and that money looks like it could have been spent better elsewhere.
Then there’s Makai Lemon, who still has time to develop, but hasn’t given the Eagles much in the moment. It’s too early to stamp him a bust, especially with Matthew Golden’s breakout for the Packers serving as a reminder that rookie receivers can take time.
Still, Philadelphia has needed more from Lemon lately, and it hasn’t come. At 0.32 EPA per target, he’s been the least efficient receiver on the Eagles’ offense.
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Eagles Pass Rush Faces An Awkward Test Against The Star They Lost
The Eagles pass rush is about to get a familiar stress test, and it comes in the form of Jaelan Phillips, the edge rusher they once had in-house before he headed to Carolina. Philadelphia did not match the Panthers offer, and the move sent Phillips on a new path while the Eagles tried to patch the edge with Jonathan Greenard and a youth movement around the position.
The timing makes the matchup feel especially awkward for a defense that has not found the kind of steady pressure it expected. Injuries and limited production have chipped away at the rush plan, leaving the Eagles to watch a former piece of their own blueprint return to Philadelphia in a Panthers uniform with plenty of attention waiting on his every snap. [Read more 🡒]