ESPN’s Solak: Eagles’ free agency class just outside Top 10

It's been a busy offseason so far for Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles.

The team has added multiple new faces that should have an impact on the 2026 roster, adding 10 new faces and retaining six from last year's team this offseason.  The team also lost 12 players from the 2025 team, some of whom the newcomers will need to replace.

Ben Solak Ranks Eagles Among NFL’s Most Improved

While the Eagles roster is still not a finished product, ESPN NFL reporter Ben Solak put the Eagles at the No. 11 spot in his free agency class rankings for most-improved rosters.

The A.J. Brown Lever and Cap Management

What helped elevate Philadelphia's spot on the list was the way he has handled the AJ Brown situation, keeping his asking price high, while keeping the cap space to retain back tight end Dallas Goedert.

How general manager Howie Roseman walked the line of an A.J. Brown trade. He kept his asking price high and kept the cap open by delaying Goedert's void date, which centralized Brown in the WR trade market. Although no deal got done, the Broncos-Dolphins Jaylen Waddle trade certainly strengthened the Eagles' case for getting a first-round pick for Brown (who is only a year older than Waddle).

Addressing the Safety Room Concerns

On the other hand, Solak has concerns about the Eagles’ losing safety, Reed Blankenship.

The Return of Marcus Epps

The team made an initial pivot by bringing back veteran safety Marcus Epps, whom they signed before the start of the 2025 season and later activated on December 8 after losing Andrew Makuba to injury for the season.

Draft Capital: Addressing Needs in April

If the plan is to throw a new name into the mix during the 2026 NFL Draft, the Eagles are capable with nine total picks, including two in the third round, two in the fourth, and two in the fifth round of the draft.

• 1st Round: Own Pick (No. 23)
• 2nd Round: Own Pick (No. 54)
• 3rd Round: Via NY Jets (Haason Reddick trade)
• 3rd Round: Compensatory pick (Milton Williams)
• 4th Round: Via Atlanta Falcons (Sydney Brown trade)
• 4th Round: Compensatory pick (Josh Sweat)
• 5th Round: Via Atlanta Falcons
• 5th Round: Compensatory pick (Mekhi Becton)
• 6th Round: Via Atlanta Falcons (Sydney Brown trade

As of now, Epss and Makuba will be the top pairing for the Eagles' defense at safety.

The lack of moves at safety. The Eagles lost Reed Blankenship -- who has been a paragon of availability -- and made no major moves to replace him. They even traded away backup Sydney Brown to the Falcons for a paltry rise in draft capital. Veteran Marcus Epps returns on a one-year deal to start beside rising sophomore Andrew Mukuba, with only career special-teamers and potential nickel-to-safety converts on the depth chart behind them. This is one of the worst safety rooms in football as it currently stands, and it's not a position to take lightly in a Vic Fangio defense.

In terms of how Philadelphia stacks up against the rest of the NFC East, the team sits behind the Washington Commanders (No. 8) and ahead of the Dallas Cowboys (No. 20) and New York Giants (No. 26).