It finally happened. We’ve developed a little NFL Draft fatigue. We’ve talked about more Top 30 visits than we have in a while, but for good reason. The Philadelphia Eagles take those seriously.
Then again, on the other hand, we’re slightly tired of cooking up mock drafts and running all of those simulators. After a while, the same guys keep showing up as available at the same area of the sim where we saw them previously.
So, what else can we talk about? Let’s see… We discussed guys we thought we might miss at some point. We left Josh Sweat off that list, but we’re almost certain we’ll miss Sweaty. His sack celebration was our favorite since Jeremiah Trotter Sr. swung his imaginary axe.
Here’s an idea. With so many guys playing on one-year or expiring deals, we can revisit that angle. Who might be playing their final seasons in Philadelphia?
Linebacker Nakobe Dean
Might this be the end of the Georgia Dawgs as we know them? Nakobe Dean is just as much a part of that story as Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis are, but he isn’t guaranteed anything past this season.
The largest issue is that Nakobe gets hurt a lot. He missed the recent postseason run. He has also missed 14 of a possible 34 games during the past two regular seasons.
Zack Baun was extended in March. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. might be nipping at Nakobe’s heels. Stay tuned. The second level of Philly’s defense is uber interesting.
Tight End Grant Calcaterra
Grant Calcaterra is the author and owner of a nice story. A former teammate of Jalen Hurts while both were with the Oklahoma Sooners, Grant was forced to retire early because of head injuries but gave the game a go again after resurfacing on the SMU Mustangs’ roster in 2021.
Philly drafted him in 2022 as a sixth-rounder. He’s steadily improved but now enters the final year of his rookie deal. Like Dean, he isn’t promised anything, and one thing he has working against him is that he doesn’t possess the same level of pizazz we’ve seen from guys like Brent Celek, Zach Ertz, and Dallas Goedert
Safety Tristin McCollum
Tristin McCollum isn’t a bad player by any means, but burned in our memories is the vision of seeing him and Sydney Brown being burned in Super Bowl LIX for a garbage-time Patrick Mahomes TD pass. The TD pass had no bearing on the game’s outcome, but it was a reminder of why he’s a reserve and not a starter.
Reed Blankenship is also entering his final year and is more of a priority signing. It seems outside of the realm of possibility that we’d see Philly extend two safeties during the same offseason. Also, if Philly drafts a safety, Tristin’s toehold on a roster spot feels more slippery.
Linebacker/Special Teamer Patrick Johnson
Patrick Johnson has come home after a brief stint with the rival New York Giants. After being on Philly’s roster during most of Nick Sirianni’s tenure as head coach, it seems unfair that guys like Andre’ Sam, Parry Nickerson, and Tariq Castro-Fields are all Super Bowl champions, and Johnson still isn’t.
Oh well… That’s the way the oblong ball bounces sometimes. Patrick is back, and if we’re being frank, he still isn’t guaranteed a roster spot. We’ll see how things go during training camp and the preseason. One thing he has going for himself is that he’s a very good special teams player.
The possible ‘one-and-done’ players: Josh Uche & Adoree’ Jackson
Josh Uche and Adoree Jackson are among the recent additions signed to one-year deals. It feels like they’ll make the team. We honestly see it being very possible that they play well, but it’s hard to envision their stay lasting past the 2025-26 season when Philly has other extensions they need to think about granting.
Worth mentioning: Lane Johnson
The sole remaining member of The Core Four gets a mention here. With Brandon Graham’s retirement, Lane Johnson is the longest-tenured veteran on the Eagles’ roster.
Lane mentioned before Super Bowl LIX that he’d play at least one more year regardless of the result. He has also discussed retiring more than ever.
He’s signed through the 2027 season now after his extension, which makes him a free agent in 2028, but one has to wonder if he’s truly considering playing for that long. Might he consider going out on top if Philly got to the big game and won it all again?
Worth mentioning (again): Dallas Goedert
No one seemingly believes that Dallas Goedert will be on the Eagles’ roster once the coming regular season begins. He’s still on the roster now though.
What’s that saying? It ain’t over ’til its’ over, right? He’s still an Eagle. Technically, he’s signed through the coming season, but even if he stays on the team and plays one more year, it’s hard to imagine he’ll be back with a shiny new extension in 2026.