Wide receiver A.J. Brown’s future with the Eagles was a frequent talking point when he expressed frustrations with the offense during the 2025 season, but General Manager Howie Roseman said in January that Brown is a great player and that it is hard to find those in the NFL.
Roseman’s messaging was not any different in a session with reporters ahead of this week’s Scouting Combine. Roseman reiterated his earlier point and said that parting ways with players like Brown is not part of his vision for how the Eagles will improve on last season’s results.
“I think that from my perspective, we’re looking to improve in all areas, and you don’t do that by subtracting,” Roseman said, via Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Roseman added that he’ll listen to any offers that come the Eagles’ way and head coach Nick Sirianni said he “can’t guarantee how anything’s going to play out into next season,” so it’s possible the Eagles could find something on the table that doesn’t add up to subtraction in their minds. For now, though, it doesn’t look like moving Brown is in the forefront of anyone’s mind in Philadelphia.
Eagles Clips
The Eagles are promoting Montgomery VanGorder to assistant quarterbacks coach, Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reports.
The team already promoted Parks Frazier to quarterbacks coach from passing game coordinator.
VanGorder will join Frazier in the quarterbacks room after joining the Eagles last season as a quality control coach.
VanGorder played at Notre Dame from 2014-17 before spending his final season at Youngstown State in 2018. He began his coaching career at Georgia the following season.
VanGorder worked as an offensive quality control coach for the Bulldogs from 2019-24.
Frazier, VanGorder and new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, who arrived from the Packers, are charged with helping Jalen Hurts find consistency after an inconsistent season.
The following are PFT’s top 100 free agents for the start of the 2026 league year. The rankings include prospective unrestricted free agents and released players. The list will be updated as events warrant, with signings, tags and re-signings denoted when announced and/or reported. Players released after initial publication may be added and all 100 players initially on the list will still be listed after any additions.
1. Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens.
2. Colts quarterback Daniel Jones.
3. Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum.
4. Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd.
5. Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.
6. Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts.
7. Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce.
8. Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson.
9. Jets running back Breece Hall.
10. Packers quarterback Malik Willis.
11. Bucs cornerback Jamel Dean.
12. Seahawks WR/KR/PR Rashid Shaheed.
13. Packers offensive tackle Rasheed Walker.
14. Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker.
15. Colts offensive tackle Braden Smith.
16. Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean.
17. Seahawks edge rusher Boye Mafe.
18. Packers linebacker Quay Walker.
19. Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal.
20. Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans.
21. Seahawks defensive back Coby Bryant.
22. 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings.
23. Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs.
24. Jaguars running back Travis Etienne.
25. Broncos edge rusher John Franklin-Myers.
26. Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
27. Eagles edge rusher Jaelen Phillips.
28. Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
29. Bills center Connor McGovern.
30. Jets guard Alijah Vera-Tucker.
31. Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen.
32. Chiefs safety Bryan Cook.
33. Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright.
34. Bills edge rusher Joey Bosa.
35. Dolphins edge rusher Bradley Chubb.
36. Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely.
37. Chargers edge rusher Odafe Oweh.
38. Steelers offensive guard Isaac Seumalo.
39. Lions defensive tackle D.J. Reader.
40. Browns linebacker Devin Bush.
41. Bears safety Jaquan Brisker.
42. Rams safety Kamren Curl.
43. Bills offensive guard David Edwards.
44. Patriots edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson.
45. Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
46. Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor.
47. Chargers offensive guard Zion Johnson.
48. Browns offensive guard Joel Bitonio.
49. Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert.
50. Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone.
51. Panthers center Cade Mays.
52. Chargers edge rusher Khalil Mack.
53. Bears safety Kevin Byard.
54. Colts edge rusher Kwity Paye.
55. Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss.
56. Ravens edge rusher Dre’Mont Jones.
57. Browns offensive guard Wyatt Teller.
58. Lions edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad.
59. Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner.
60. Giants wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson.
61. Patriots safety Jaylinn Hawkins.
62. Cowboys edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney.
63. Saints linebacker Demario Davis.
64. Panthers running back Rico Dowdle.
65. Falcons edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie.
66. Titans offensive guard Kevin Zeitler.
67. Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins.
68. Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson.
69. Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton.
70. Saints edge rusher Cameron Jordan.
71. Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe.
72. Giants offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor.
73. Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk.
74. Browns tight end David Njoku.
75. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
76. Giants offensive guard Greg Van Roten.
77. Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota.
78. Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown.
79. Falcons defensive tackle David Onyemata.
80. Bucs linebacker Lavonte David.
81. Bengals guard Dalton Risner.
82. Vikings safety Harrison Smith.
83. Giants quarterback Russell Wilson.
84. Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
85. Jets safety Andre Cisco.
86. Buccaneers running back Rachaad White.
87. Packers edge rusher Kingsley Enagbare.
88. Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen.
89. Dolphins cornerback Rasul Douglas.
90. Texans defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins.
91. Titans tight end Chig Okonwko.
92. Eagles safety Reed Blankenship.
93. Raiders offensive guard Dylan Parham.
94. Browns safety Rayshawn Jenkins.
95. Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton.
96. Broncos outside linebacker Justin Strnad.
97. Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco.
98. Colts cornerback Mike Hilton.
99. Bills defensive tackle DaQuan Jones.
100. Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier.
The 2025 offseason featured a vote on banning the tush push, but the proposal put forth by the Packers failed to get the 24 votes needed for the rule to be enacted.
The play continued to be featured by the Eagles and others during the season. The way things like false starts and forward progress were officiated continued to generate chatter, but defenses had some more success stopping the play than they had in the past and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts said in November that it was “becoming tougher and tougher” to run the play after losing a fumble in a loss to the Bears.
That change may have also cooled plans to revive the debate about eliminating the play. Competition Committee co-chairman Rich McKay said on Sunday that he has not seen a proposal from any team similar to the one that fell short last year.
“There’s no team proposal that I’ve seen from it,” McKay said, via longtime NFL reporter Mark Maske. “So I wouldn’t envision it. But you never know.”
Further discussions on possible rule changes by the committee will take place this week and any proposals for the full league will be voted on at league meetings later in the offseason.
Running back Saquon Barkley was one of several Eagles offensive players who failed to reach their previous heights during the 2025 season and the unit’s overall performance led to a change at offensive coordinator last month.
Sean Mannion replaced Kevin Patullo in that role and Barkley said on NFL Network that he’s had a chance to speak with the new member of the staff. Barkley said they have not started breaking down the intricacies of the offense at this point, but loves “the challenge of putting yourself in a new system” and that what he knows of this one sets it apart from any other one that he’s played in so far.
“I’m super excited about it,” Barkley said. “I’m going on Year 9, which is crazy to say, and I’ve had a lot of different coaches and head coaches and been a part of a lot of systems. I don’t think I really came across a system like this. For me, it’s refreshing. You get something new. You get to learn something new.”
The Eagles also saw longtime offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland leave the team this offseason, so it will be a significant course correction after a disappointing season for the Super Bowl LVIX champs. If that correction means Barkley bounces back to his 2024 levels, Mannion’s hiring will prove to be a very popular one in Philadelphia.
During the first three years of Frank Reich’s tenure as head coach of the Colts, Nick Sirianni served as Reich’s offensive coordinator. Before Reich accepted the job as the Jets’ new offensive coordinator, Sirianni and Reich considered a reunion.
In a profile of Reich by Dan Pompei of The Athletic, Pompei points out that Sirianni and Reich discussed the possibility of Reich becoming an adviser to Sirianni in Philadelphia.
After Kevin Patullo was fired, Sirianni didn’t interview Reich to become the Eagles’ offensive coordinator. Reich ultimately got a better opportunity to run the offense in New York, for a head coach whose specialty is defense.
The pressure seems to be relatively the same in both organizations, for different reasons. With the Eagles, there’s a very high bar. With the Jets, there’s urgency to finally exceed a very low bar.
With the Jets, there’s also flexibility at the quarterback position. Reich surely will have some say when it comes to who they’ll acquire.
Pompei writes that Reich jokingly called Andrew Luck, the Stanford G.M., about playing for the Jets. Last year, it was Luck who tabbed Reich to take the reins of a Stanford program that was in turmoil.
Reich, as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator, helped the franchise win its first Super Bowl in 2017. He parlayed that into a twelfth-hour candidacy to become the coach of the Colts. Luck’s retirement sparked a revolving door that ultimately prompted Jim Irsay to roll the dice on Jeff Saturday. Then, only 11 games into Reich’s first season with the Panthers, he was unceremoniously fired and ushered out of the building by security.
He’s still getting his head-coaching salary from Carolina through 2026. And Reich has a chance to remind everyone that he knows a thing or two about designing and calling plays. Especially if the Jets can get a quarterback who’ll be able to effectively and consistently execute.
Lane Johnson plans to be back at right tackle for the Eagles in 2026.
Johnson told Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he has made up his mind about returning for a 14th NFL season. Johnson thought about retiring after an injury-shortened 2025 season.
Johnson posted a picture of himself running onto the field in an Eagles uniform a short time after McLane shared their conversation.
A Lisfranc injury kept Johnson from playing in the final seven games of the regular season and the Eagles’ playoff loss to the 49ers. The injury led to Johnson failing to make first- or second-team All-Pro for the first time since the 2020 season.
Johnson’s return will give the Eagles some valuable consistency heading into their first season with a new offensive coordinator in Sean Mannion. They’ll also be replacing longtime offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland — Chris Kuper will now be in that role — and there’s been talk that left guard Landon Dickerson is also contemplating retirement, but there’s been no official word on Dickerson’s plans at this point.
Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has played two games in Philadelphia in his NFL career, losing both. He thinks there’s no tougher place in the NFL to play.
Daniels said in an interview with Sports Illustrated that the fans in Philadelphia deserve credit for the passion they bring, which only makes it harder on opposing quarterbacks.
“I love Eagles fans. I love Eagles fans,” Daniels said. “They just embody what Philly brings. To be able to go out there and play against them, it’s kind of just that thing. Their environment is kind of like the closest thing you can get to a college environment.”
Asked if the fans in Philadelphia give him more fuel, Daniels answered, “For sure.”
“If you go out there, you can beat Philly in Philly, that’s a different type, but their fans bring it,” Daniels said. “Especially as we’re rivals with them in the NFC East. I love playing against them.”
Winning in Philadelphia is high on Daniels’ list of goals for 2026.
The Eagles are expected to name Parks Frazier as their new quarterbacks coach, Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reports.
Frazier, 34, joined the Eagles as their passing game coordinator in 2025.
He began his NFL coaching career in 2018 with the Colts and served as the interim offensive coordinator in 2022. Frazier was the passing game coordinator for the Panthers in 2023 and an offensive assistant with the Dolphins in 2024.
The Eagles fired offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo after the season, replacing him with Sean Mannion. They hired Josh Grizzard as their passing game coordinator.
Frazier becomes the sixth position coach for Jalen Hurts in seven seasons, following Press Taylor (2020), Brian Johnson (2021-22), Alex Tanney (2023), Doug Nussmeier (2024) and Loeffler (2025). Loeffler left his post as Bowling Green’s head coach a year ago to join the Eagles.
The 2025 season ended eight days ago. In one day, the first significant moment toward the refinement of rosters for 2026 arrives.
The annual two-week window for applying the franchise tag opens on Tuesday, February 17.
As some have suggested in the past, the only day that really matters is the last day for applying the tag (March 3). But with the Scouting Combine (a/k/a Tampering Central) coming next week, some teams may be inclined to apply the tag before all of them convene in Indianapolis, in order to make it clear that an impending free agent won’t be free.
That’s the most important thing to remember about the franchise tag. It gives each team the ability to block one player per year from earning on the open market a long-term contract from the cash-and-cap-rich teams.
Last year, only two tags were applied — by the Bengals to receiver Tee Higgins and by the Chiefs to guard Trey Smith. It was the fewest total tags since 2006.
This year, there are several intriguing candidates for the franchise tag (or, in theory, the little-used transition tag).
The list starts with Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III. He finished his 2022 second-round contract with a flourish, gaining 376 rushing yards in three playoff games and winning the Super Bowl MVP award. It would cost the Seahawks $14.1 million to extend Walker’s stay by a fifth year and/or to extend until July 15 the ability to sign him to a long-term deal.
The question for the Seahawks becomes projecting whether another team will break the bank for a running back, and whether Walker (with his name and accomplishments removed from the equation) justifies a major investment moving forward, given the supply-demand realities of the running back position. (In 2006, the Seahawks gave running back Shaun Alexander a market-level deal after his MVP season, and they quickly regretted it.)
Cowboys receiver George Pickens could be headed for the tag, even if he may not be thrilled about it. One year and $28 million falls far short of the market-level, multi-year deal ($40 million per year or more) he may desire.
Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. will be hitting the market, barring the tag. He had a career high in catches (88) and touchdowns (five), but Pitts has still yet to live up to the potential that made him the fourth overall pick in 2021, one spot above receiver Ja’Marr Chase. It remains to be seen whether the new regime in Atlanta (led by the quarterback who threw passes to Pitts as a rookie) will choose to apply the $16 million tag.
The Eagles sent a third-round pick during the 2025 season to the Dolphins for linebacker Jaelan Phillips. He performed well in Philly, and the Eagles have to decide whether to try to keep him or to let him go, and to collect a potential compensatory draft pick in 2027.
The Bengals may decide to use the tag to keep defensive end Trey Hendrickson around for another year. The price tag ($30.1992 million, based on his 2025 cap number) is high. And there’s lingering acrimony between player and team.
Whatever the final number, the number will likely be far closer to last year’s two than the 2012 record high of 21. That year, the shift in calculation from the 2011 CBA combined with a small bump in the cap due to the lockout made it cheaper to use the tag.
Cheap continues to be the operative word. Teams want to keep their best players without having to pay market rates. And while, in theory, that only impacts the players who don’t get to become free agents, it also holds down the rest of the market by not letting the best free agents get every penny they deserve.
So, yes, the franchise tag stinks for players. But it’s never going away, given that it gives teams the annual ability to keep a highly-talented player around without giving him the contract he has otherwise earned.
