Eagles player named as a top free agent for 2023
With the best record in the NFL, the Philadelphia Eagles (11-1) still have unfinished business this season. That being said, one player with an expiring contract is already garnering plenty of attention for the 2023 offseason. Eagles defensive tackle Javon Hargrave is having a career year. Playing in his seventh season in the NFL, and […]
With the best record in the NFL, the Philadelphia Eagles (11-1) still have unfinished business this season. That being said, one player with an expiring contract is already garnering plenty of attention for the 2023 offseason.
Eagles defensive tackle Javon Hargrave is having a career year. Playing in his seventh season in the NFL, and his third with Philadelphia, Hargrave has been dominant in the trenches.
He has a career-high eight sacks on the year, five of which came in a two-game span.
It’s no surprise that Hargrave will be a hot commodity for teams searching for a play-making defensive tackle. He's a force, not only as a pass rusher, but as a run stopper as well.
In fact, Pro Football Focus ranked Hargrave as one of its top free agents for 2023. Writer Brad Spielberger authored PFF’s 2023 NFL Free Agent Rankings: Top 25 players set to hit free agency.
On Hargrave:
"Hargrave moved from western Pennsylvania over to the East Coast during 2020 free agency and has been a force in Philadelphia, blossoming into one of the elite interior pass-rushers in the NFL over the past few seasons. Since 2020, Hargrave’s 91.8 pass-rush grade trails only Aaron Donald and Chris Jones, with his 19.2% pass-rush win rate also ranking third."
"Hargrave will be 30 years old for the 2023 season, but we’ve seen many interior defenders maintain longevity well into their 30s recently. Hargrave is also intriguing, as different responsibilities between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia have led to interesting splits as a run-defender or pass-rusher. His run-defense grades were much better in his first stop, but it seems he can excel at whatever is asked of him, which is good to know for interested teams that likely don’t frequently deploy a five-man front and do a lot of the other exotic things Philadelphia is doing up front of late."
Hargrave’s services will likely cost teams a pretty penny, which forces Eagles general manager Howie Roseman into a difficult decision.
Whether the Eagles opt to pay Hargrave on a lucrative deal, or search for a cheaper, possibly younger replacement, remains to be seen. As for now, Eagles fans just want to see his level of play continue to rise and worry about free agency in March.
Featured image via Troy Taormina – USA TODAY Sports
