Eagles May Have To Get More Aggressive On The Edge

A very disciplined offseason for the Philadelphia Eagles shifted slightly when the team won a game of chicken with Dallas Goedert earlier this month, guaranteeing the veteran tight end will have an eighth season in the City of Brotherly Love in exchange for a bit of a financial haircut.

It’s not exactly a seismic shift but running it back with Goedert for a still healthy sum that could and likely will reach $11 million is somewhat at odds with the goal of getting the financial house in order for the presumed significant contract extensions ahead.

That already started with Cam Jurgens’ new deal with Jalen Carter and perhaps Nolan Smith set to follow after the 2025 season, and Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean a year after that.

With the Super Bowl window again clearly open for the Eagles, it’s a delicate balance for GM Howie Roseman.

This is also the time of year when every random outlet with no access to the actual decision-makers generates ridiculous personnel rumors with the understanding there is no penalty for going 0-for-infinity.

That’s only amplified with Philadelphia because of Roseman’s well-earned reputation of checking in on everything.

It’s easy to say the Eagles’ GM called on [insert name] because he checks in on just about everything to keep his hands on the pulse of the league.

One such name that Roseman should be monitoring is Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.

Things are getting ugly for the proven sack specialist who went public with his unhappiness recently, meaning there is at least a small path to Hendrickson playing elsewhere in 2025.

More so, the edge could be the biggest question mark for Philadelphia right now.

After losing Josh Sweat to free agency and Brandon Graham to retirement, the Eagles are counting on Nolan Smith to lead the group, hoping Jalyx Hunt takes a big second-year leap, and betting that at least one prove-it player – Azeez Ojulari or Josh Uche – hits.

In a perfect world for Philadelphia, having a headliner like Hendrickson turns a question mark into a strength with Smith handling the complementary role he excelled in late last season, Hunt having less pressure for his projection, and Ojulari fitting in nicely as the fourth man in the rotation.

So, how does that happen when Hendrickson wants $30-plus million with the Bengals, and the Eagles are in no position to entertain that kind of salary?

The thought around the league is Hendrickson has three options: find a middle ground on an extension the Bengals can offer; play for the $16M he’s scheduled to make this season and hit free agency in 2026; or hold out.

The last option brings to mind Haason Reddick with the Eagles before the 2024 season, when the former second-team All-Pro made ot clear he would not be playing under the final year of his deal.

Philadelphia tapped out early and sent Reddick to the New York Jets for a conditional third-round pick, However, Reddick continued his holdout mentality with the Jets and didn’t report until the seventh game of the season.

For Hendrickson, the pulse for Roseman would be him willing to play for $16M in exchange for generating 10-plus sacks for a real Super Bowl contender, something that would increase his value in 2026.

That's worth draft capital for a team with plenty of it.

This remains a long game for the Eagles, though, and it starts with on-field OTAs later this month and could extend into training camp.

If Vic Fangio assesses that he doesn't have enough on the edge, Roseman will be keeping a close eye on any potential edge option. That includes Hendrickson if the ugliness with the Bengals extends into the summer.