6 winners and losers from the first week of Philadelphia Eagles free agency, including running back not named Saquon Barkley
The Birds have some players who will be ecstatic or bummed out this offseason.
The Philadelphia Eagles have not been overly active during NFL free agency so far, but that can be good or bad news for plenty of players around the roster.
Check out the biggest winners and losers from Philly’s opening week of action in free agency below.
Winners and losers from first week of Eagles free agency
Winner: RB Tank Bigsby
Excited about this for Bigsby. He was a player than fans liked to see in spurts last season as Saquon Barkley’s backup. There were thoughts he may get passed up by a free agency addition, but that isn’t the case so far.
He still looks entrenched in the RB2 role, and Will Shipley, nor Carson Steele, seem like they will take that from him.
Loser: TE Cameron Latu
Latu was always seen as a depth option at tight end for the Birds, but his stock has declined a tad bit after some aggressive activity from the Eagles on the TE market. They re-signed both Grant Calcaterra and Dallas Goedert, while Johnny Mundt also joined the fold as well.
Without much proven production, the young tight end slides back down to the TE4 role most likely and could end up on the practice squad during next season.
Winner: EDGE Nolan Smith Jr.
Smith is now a projected starter off the edge for Philadelphia next season. Jaelan Phillips joined the Carolina Panthers last week, and the Eagles only added Arnold Ebiketie as a potential replacement. While Ebiketie has some exciting pass rush potential, the door is much more ajar for Smith to have a role on defense.
Loser: Eagles fans’ nerves
The Eagles have consistently backed kicker Jake Elliott, so it looks like he will return as the boot for Philadelphia next season.
Elliott went 20/27 on field goals (74.1%) last season. His long distance kicking was league’s worst. Elliott went 4/8 on attempts from 50+ yards, the worst FG percentage in the NFL among the 35 kickers who attempted at least 5 from that range.
If Elliott remains as the main option at kicker for the Eagles entering next season, fans will be a bit nervous about the position.
Winner: LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
Nakobe Dean left Philly to head to the Las Vegas Raiders during free agency. With that, the depth at linebacker on the roster for the Eagles has to step up going into next year. While the Eagles could still (and probably should still) add a proven depth piece at LB, they probably also want to see Trotter in action more.
Depending on how the Eagles navigate the rest of the offseason, he could see his defensive snaps jump up next season. He’s played just 192 total defensive plays so far in his two seasons in the pros.
The Eagles still have cap space to make more notable moves in free agency, but we may see them be a bit patient until after the 2026 NFL Draft. Regardless, some clear winners and losers have emerged based off their decisions so far.
Winner: QB Jalen Hurts
This one is a blend of offseason choices and decisions timed around free agency. The Eagles QB got his best guard back in Landon Dickerson after retirement speculation. Lane Johnson is also back in the fold in 2026.
Not to mention, Sean Mannion is an upgrade over Kevin Patullo as the offensive play caller in Philly. Hurts is already excited about the addition of Mannion at offensive coordinator, too.
