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Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni. Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

2024 offseason primer: Several on notice after Eagles’ disappointing playoff exit

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 2/23/24

By the end of November, it appeared the Philadelphia Eagles (11-6) would cruise to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC and potentially reach the Super Bowl for the second straight year.

However, a late-season collapse that included losses in five of the last six games and a 32-9 blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild-card round forced change as the offseason began.

Head coach Nick Sirianni kept his job, but the same couldn’t be said for much of his coaching staff. The Eagles are breaking in nine new coaches, including offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

If Philly has another early playoff exit in 2024, Sirianni may be looking for a new employer this time next year. The Eagles could be aggressive in adding playmakers on both sides of the ball during free agency and the draft to help keep their Super Bowl window open longer, but there’s no question a lot is riding on next season for many people.

REPORT: During the weeks where Dom DiSandro was suspended from being on the #Eagles sideline, Nick Sirianni was reportedly getting in numerous fights with players and coaches, sources tell @RealDGunn.

One of DiSandro’s many duties is apparently controlling Sirianni’s emotions… pic.twitter.com/axNRJpgqPY
— Philadelphia Eagles Central (@pheaglescentral) February 21, 2024

Here’s what you need to know about Philadelphia’s offseason:

PROJECTED 2024 CAP SPACE: $32.16M (17th-most in NFL)

FREE AGENTS | Offense: QB Marcus Mariota; RBs D’Andre Swift, Boston Scott, Rashaad Penny; WRs Olamide Zaccheaus, Quez Watkins; TE Jack Stoll; OGs Iosua Opeta, Jack Driscoll; Center Jason Kelce

Defense: DE Brandon Graham; DT Fletcher Cox; LBs Zach Cunningham, Shaq Leonard, Shaun Bradley, Nicholas Morrow; Safety Justin Evans

Special teams: Punter Braden Mann

Outlook: Most of Philly’s key free agents-to-be reside on the defense. Graham and Cox were important pieces of the team’s front seven, combining for 79 pressures, 51 hurries, 15 QB hits and six sacks. It’s expected that the team will want to bring Cox back, but given Graham’s age (35), he could be let go. Morrow and Cunningham were the Eagles' second and third-leading tacklers, respectively. As the younger of the two (28), Morrow is likely kept while Cunningham hits the market, opening the door for Nolan Smith and Nakobe Dean to get more snaps.

In his first year with the Eagles, Swift rushed for a career-high 1,049 yards (fifth in the league) and ranked in the top 20 in the NFL in yards from scrimmage (1,263 yards). Given his breakout year, Swift will likely command a solid raise from the $1.77M he earned in 2023. If his price tag isn’t exorbitant, expect Philly to bring Swift back next season.

Daniel Jeremiah has the #Eagles selecting Missouri CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. in his latest NFL mock draft. pic.twitter.com/DZgH2SgyEn
— JAKIB Sports (@JAKIBSports) February 21, 2024

TOP DRAFT NEEDS (in order): CB, LB, Edge-rusher, WR, IOL — The Eagles can go in several different directions with the 22nd overall pick. Adding a strong, physical linebacker to man the middle of the defense like Clemson’s Jeremiah Trotter Jr. or N.C. State’s Payton Wilson makes a lot of sense. It also wouldn’t be surprising to see Philly look to upgrade its secondary with a young playmaker like Missouri's Ennis Rakestraw or Alabama’s Kool-Aid McKinstry either.

A possible dark-horse pick could be a receiver. There’s been speculation that A.J. Brown may be traded sometime between now and the draft — although the wide receiver set the record straight on those rumors on Friday. But if he were to be dealt, I wouldn’t rule out the Eagles grabbing LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. or Oregon’s Troy Franklin to replace him.

DRAFT PROSPECTS TO WATCH: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo; Ennis Rakestraw, CB, Missouri; Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama; Jeremiah Trotter, LB, Clemson; Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M; Payton Wilson, LB, N.C. State; Laiatu Latu, Edge, UCLA; Chop Robinson, Edge, Penn State; Bralen Trice, Edge, Washington; Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU; Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon; Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas; Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia; Graham Barton, OT/OG, Duke; Troy Fautanu, OT/OG, Washington; Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon

THREE 2024 STORYLINES TO WATCH:

Will Kelce return for a 14th season?

How short of a leash does Sirianni have?

Will Brown be on the season-opening roster?

More must-reads: