Three players the Philadelphia Eagles should pursue during free agency
With the offseason free agency period approaching, it is only a matter of time before offseason free agent rumors arrive in full force. With plenty of needs but little cap room to get these deals done, some creative bookkeeping will be needed by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Assuming that the team is able to accomplish this through roster cuts and reworked deals, I believe the team could have somewhere around $30 million in cap space. If that is the case, the team could sign some solid players this offseason. However, the team will also address some areas during the draft, making this free agency period even more important so that all needs are addressed this offseason.
Sticking away from the obvious players like DeSean Jackson, we will be taking a look at three players the Philadelphia Eagles should sign during free agency.
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Sebastian Vollmer — Offensive Tackle
With the Philadelphia Eagles in need of action as it pertains to Jason Peters, a clean release of the veteran left tackle could be on the way. Shifting Lane Johnson to the position, a new right tackle would be needed. With spending in need of some serious watching, one player that could earn a short, team friendly deal is Sebastian Vollmer.
While Vollmer has had some injury problems over the last few years, he remains one of the league’s best tackles when healthy. A natural fit for the right tackle position, Vollmer would be a low risk, high reward type signing for Philadelphia.
The big thing here will be how well Vollmer holds up. If his injury issues come back, the contract will not be the big concern. It will be what the team does to replace him along the offensive line.
Darren McFadden — Running Back
Just over a year removed from his second ever 1,000-yard rushing season as a member of the Dallas Cowboys, McFadden’s workload last season went off a cliff. Only appearing in three games for the Cowboys, McFadden managed only 87-yards this past season.
A 30-year old by the start of the 2017 season, McFadden will be hitting free agency this offseason. With the Philadelphia Eagles in need of a true runner, McFadden could be the answer in Philadelphia. His elbow injury that caused him to miss most of last season should not reoccur, limiting the chance of this signing being a bust.
Being an in-between-the-tackle runner, McFadden does have the ability to break it to the outside for extra yardage. With his running ability and Darren Sproles serving as the pass catcher, the Eagles backfield would definitely be upgraded from last season.
Trent Cole — Outside Linebacker
A return could be on the cards for this longtime Philadelphia Eagle. Leaving the team after being cut at the end of the 2014 season, Cole has spent two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. Despite having back surgery early in the season, Cole managed to return and play in the team’s final five games, he recorded 13-tackles and two sacks.
With his age getting up there, Cole will be a small deal type of player, one the Philadelphia Eagles desperately need. Bringing in Cole as a pass rushing linebacker, Cole could be used to boost the Eagles defense on passing downs. Keeping him off the field every play should also lessen the chances of an injury.
Second all time for the Eagles in sacks, Cole could return to add to his total next season. Allowing one of the best pass rushers in Eagles history to comeback and have one last hurrah with the team is a move that could shockingly payoff next season.
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