Philadelphia Eagles Offseason: The Good, Bad, and Ugly

If this offseason has felt longer than most for Philadelphia Eagles fans, this is the product of getting bounced out of the wild card round.

The Eagles have been used to making deep postseason runs, but that changed with the wild card ouster and the drama surrounding A.J. Brown. Both topics are in the rearview mirror -- an dthe Eagles fan finally focus on 2026.

The six-week summer break is in full force, which is a good time to look back regarding the Eagles' spring. This spring was eventful off the field, but things calmed down once the A.J. Brown trade took place.

So let's take a look at how the Eagles' spring unfolded. This is the good, bad, and ugly of what transpired from April to June.

The good: Tariq Woolen and Jonathan Greenard

Woolen was the standout in OTA practices and mandatory minicamp all spring. His speed and ability to understand Vic Fangio's defense stood out, as he's the CB2 the Eagles have been seeking to line up on the outside opposite of Quinyon Mitchell.

Mitchell and Woolen are going to be a fierce duo, and this is with Cooper DeJean in the slot. The Eagles starting cornerbacks are going to be a problem in 2026.

Greenard didn't participate in the team portion of minicamp as he is coming off shoulder surgery, but he'll be a welcome addition to the pass rush. The impact Greenard will have on Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith will pay dividends come September, as all three players are expected to be one of the league's best pass rushing trios.

The Eagles have a lot of depth at pass rusher, thanks to Greenard and what he'll bring to the defense.

The bad: The performance of the rookies

Spring practice is what it is -- and it's hard to gauge anything in shells and shorts. The Eagles rookies were essentially nonexistent at mandatory minicamp.

First-round pick Makai Lemon missed minicamp with a hamstring injury, as the past few weeks missed hurt his development -- and favors Dontayvion Wicks in the WR2 battle. Second-round pick Eli Stowers was quiet in the four practices open to the media and doesn't appear to grasp the offense yet. The Eagles are likely going to have Stowers open camp as the TE3.

Third-round pick Markel Bell may be ahead of schedule and could be the No. 3 tackle with a good summer, and the top backup to Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata. Fifth-round pick Cole Payton immensely struggled to grasp the offense and the Eagles did sixth-round pick Micah Morris a favor by signing veteran guard Michael Jordan after minicamp.

Secenth-round pick Cole Winiewski missed teh team portion of minicamp while fellow seventh-round pick Uar Bernard is learning football. Keyshawn James-Newby is a long shot to mak ethe roster due to the crowded pass rusher room.

Thanks to the the performance of the top thre epicks, the rookie class was a bit disappointing this sprinf. Keep in mind the pads aren't on yet.

The ugly: Nolan Smith's arrest

Smith's arrest for speeding was a black eye on the offseason, one that the player hasn't addressed yet -- even if the franchise did. The Eagles like to keep things in-house and that information is rarely leaked outside the Jefferson Health Training Complex walls.

"What's so important is that we learn from our mistakes not only on the football field, but in the community as well and we try to get better from those things," Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said. in May. "Everything that we go through is a teachable moment on the field, off the field. That's a big part of getting better."

With the offseason transgression, there is some doubt over Smith's future with the Eagles. Philadelphia did pick up Smith's fifth-year option this offseason, but the Eagles also paid Jonathan Greenard and Jalyx Hunt is due for an extension as well. Smith may be the odd man out.

Smith will get this season to get back in the Eagles' good graces. At the end of the day, on-field performance will determine Smith's future.