8 Free Agents Eagles Could Target After Compensatory Pick Window Closes

Just after the draft, Howie Roseman said they weren't going on vacation and he was telling the truth. 

Last week, the Eagles signed LB Zach Brown and claimed S Blake Countess. Neither move will count against them in the compensatory pick formula, which has been increasingly important to the Eagles this offseason. 

From OverTheCap (they do great work tracking all this), here's a current look at the Eagles' comp pick situation: 

We bring that up because any moves made after Tuesday (May 7) will not count toward the compensatory pick formula. This should spur some action around the league. The Eagles still have just under $24 million in cap space before signing their draft class. 

Here's a handful of players whom the Eagles could target: 

DE Ezekiel Ansah 
The top remaining free agent on the market, Ansah will turn 30 later this month, but probably still has plenty more to give. The former first-round pick was drafted in 2013, when Jim Schwartz was still the head coach in Detroit, so there's a familiarity there. Ziggy played just seven games because of a shoulder injury in 2018, but the year before had 12 sacks. He's gotten into double digits in sacks in two of his six seasons, but has 48 total in his career. Spotrac estimated his value as $13.6 million per season, but that was a while ago, before he lasted on the market into May. 

The Eagles have Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett as starters, but their backups (assuming Chris Long doesn't return) are Vinny Curry, Josh Sweat, Shareef Miller and Daeshon Hall. 

DE Derrick Morgan 
If the Eagles want a cheaper and more realistic option, Morgan makes sense. Morgan, 30, has played all nine of his NFL seasons with the Titans, but is now on the open market. He's played in a 4-3 before, so he could transition pretty easily. He had just half a sack in 13 games in 2018, but had 7 1/2 and 9 sacks in the previous two years. 

OG/C Stefen Wisniewski 
The Eagles did not pick up Wiz's option, so he became a free agent. The Eagles weren't willing to keep him at $3.7 million, but if he can't find a starting gig, the Eagles should be interested in bringing him back on a cheaper deal. Last year's sixth-round pick Matt Pryor is their top backup guard. Wiz would be ideal because he already knows the system, has played at a high level here and could back up guard and center, so if Jason Kelce ever goes down, the Eagles wouldn't have to adjust two positions on the line. (I was also going to mention that Chance Warmack is still out there, but I don't want you guys to throw things at me.) 

OG Jeff Allen 
The 29-year-old was actually brought to Houston as Brandon Brooks' replacement but lasted just two years. In 2018, he was back in Kansas City, where his career began, playing in 10 games and starting four. Allen has played under Doug Pederson in Kansas City, so at least the coaching staff would know what they're getting. 

OG Andy Levitre
The veteran will turn 33 later this month and played in just two games in 2018 after suffering a torn triceps, so it's fair to wonder if he has much left to give. But as a fill-in player and insurance policy in case Brooks isn't healthy by the start of the season, the Eagles could do worse than Levitre. 

S Tre Boston 
The Eagles claimed Countess off waivers, but he has a relatively pricey salary and none of it's guaranteed. The Eagles also have Andrew Sendejo and Tre Sullivan to compete for the third safety job. I don't think any of those guys are a sure thing. Boston is 26 and has started 44 games in his career, which began in 2014. He has 10 interceptions in the last three years, but that has come for three different teams. He was with the Cardinals in 2018; he played in 14 games with three interceptions and nine passes defensed. 

S Glover Quin 
A former Texan and Lion, Quin is 33 now so I get why we'd be questioning if he has anything left. But Quin is a safety with a corner background and perhaps he could be this year's Corey Graham, a veteran looking for a ring who could be a contributor. Unfortunately, Graham is remembered now for 4th-and-15, but he was a big contributor on the Super Bowl team the year before. 

RB Darren Sproles 
I don't think Sproles is going to return. But if he did, the soon-to-be 36-year-old could be a help on third downs and as a punt returner. Drafting Sanders certainly didn't help his odds of returning, but his abilities as a return man might still make him intriguing to the Eagles. 

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