The All-Howie Roseman free agent signings Eagles team originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Howie Roseman has been the Eagles general manager for over 15 years and has signed a lot of free agents in that time.
Some haven’t worked out. But the ones that have worked out have bolstered the rosters of three different teams that went to the Super Bowl and two Super Bowl winners.
Roseman became the Eagles’ general manager in 2010 and has held that position since, aside from the 2015 season when personnel power went to Chip Kelly for a short stint. But since being back in power in 2016, Roseman has been at his best and the Eagles have been one of the best teams in the NFL.
So here’s a look at the All-Howie Roseman free agency team by position:
Quarterback: Nick Foles
We’re talking, of course, about Foles’ second stint with the Eagles. In 2017, Foles signed a two-year deal to return to Philadelphia as a free agent. At the time, it was a nice depth signing — a 2-year, $11 million — to give the Eagles a strong backup quarterback behind franchise QB Carson Wentz. You know how this story goes. Wentz tore his ACL in December in Los Angeles and Foles took over. After a shaky start, Foles began to heat up in the playoffs and it culminated in the game of his life in Super Bowl LII. Foles also played well when called upon in 2018 and will forever be remembered as a legend in Philadelphia.
Running back: Saquon Barkley
It had been a long time since the Eagles gave out a big-money contract to a running back but Roseman broke that streak with Barkley in 2024. That March, the former New York Giants running back signed a 3-year, $37.75 million deal and was immediately worth it. In his first season with the Eagles, Barkley became just the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season and the Eagles went on to win Super Bowl LIX. It was a bit of a down year in 2025, but Barkley still rushed for 1,140 yards and 7 touchdowns. Barkley, 29, will enter Year 3 in an Eagles uniform in 2026.
Running back: LeGarrette Blount
Blount is another Super Bowl LII hero. After a three-year stint with the Patriots, Blount signed with the Eagles on a 1-year, $1.25 million deal in the 2017 offseason. When Blount arrived to Philadelphia, he was already a two-time Super Bowl champion but helped the Eagles win their first Lombardi Trophy in franchise history. Blount led the Eagles in rushing that season. He had 173 carries for 766 yards (4.4). And in Super Bowl LII, Blount had 14 carries for 90 yards and a touchdown. Blount left after the Super Bowl and played one season with the Lions before calling it a career.
Receiver: Alshon Jeffery
After playing the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Bears, Jeffery signed a 1-year, $9.5 million deal (worth more with incentives) to come to Philly in 2017. Jeffery was the Eagles’ best receiver in the Super Bowl LII season and played a good portion of it with a torn rotator cuff. In Super Bowl LII, Jeffery caught 3 passes for 73 yards and a touchdown. In December of 2017, Jeffery signed a 4-year, $52 million extension. That contract ended up not being worth it but the initial deal helped get the Eagles their first Super Bowl. Jeffery hasn’t played since 2020 but remains a big supporter of the Eagles.
Receiver: Torrey Smith
Smith played just one season with the Eagles and had fine production. But he’ll forever be a fan favorite because he helped win the first Super Bowl. After two seasons with the 49ers, Smith signed what was technically a three-year deal with the Eagles in 2017. That season, Smith caught 36 passes for 430 yards and 2 touchdowns and added 13 for 157 and a touchdown in the playoff run. After the Super Bowl season, the Eagles traded Smith to the Panthers.
Tight end: Richard Rodgers
OK, slim pickings here. The Eagles under Roseman went from Brent Celek to Zach Ertz to Dallas Goedert at tight end and all three of them were drafted. That hasn’t left much room for free agents. So we’ll give the nod to Rodgers, who signed a one-year deal with the Eagles in 2018. Rodgers spent parts of the next four seasons with the Eagles and really had just one year with decent production. In the 2020 season, Rodgers caught 24 passes for 345 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Tackle: Fred Johnson
The other names on this list come from offseason signings but the Fred Johnson one is a bit different. Johnson was a free agent in November of 2022 when the Eagles signed him to their practice squad for the remainder of the Super Bowl LVII season. Eventually, Johnson impressed Jeff Stoutland and the Eagles enough to earn a roster spot and he has been a valuable backup the last few years. From 2023-25, Johnson played in 51 games with 14 starts. He started nine games in 2025, including the playoff loss to the 49ers.
Guard: Evan Mathis
Most of the Eagles’ additions in the 2011 offseason didn’t work out well. That was the Dream Team season. But the one-year deal for Mathis was an exception. Mathis earned the starting job at left guard that season and a new contract the following March. In his four-year stint with the Eagles, Mathis started 56 games, was a two-time Pro Bowler and was a first-team All-Pro in the 2013 season under Chip Kelly. Mathis played under two OL coaching legends in Philly: First Howard Mudd and then Jeff Stoutland. Mathis held out of OTAs in 2015 and was released as he searched for a new contract. But his four-year stint with the Eagles was excellent.
Center: Stefen Wisniewski
We’re cheating a little bit by putting Wisniewski at center. Deal with it. The former Raider and Jaguar signed with the Eagles in 2016 on a one-year deal and then signed a three-year extension with the Eagles the following March. In his three years in Philly, Wisniewski played in 46 games with 24 starts and ended up being the starting left guard for the Super Bowl LII team. That season, the Eagles began the year with Isaac Seumalo at left guard and then tried Chance Warmack before landing on Wiz, who started the final 11 regular season games and all 3 playoff games, including the Super Bowl win.
Guard: Brandon Brooks
The Texans drafted Brooks in the third round of the 2012 draft and he grew into a starting guard in Houston. But he developed into a star in Philly. The Eagles signed Brooks to a 5-year, $40 million contract in 2016 and it ended up being a steal for a player of his caliber. Brooks was named to three straight Pro Bowls from 2017-19 and formed a great duo with Lane Johnson on the right side of the Eagles’ offensive line. While injuries cut Brooks’ career short, his peak was extremely high and helped the Eagles win a Super Bowl.
Tackle: Mekhi Becton
You already let me cheat with Wisniewski at center so don’t stop me now. Because when the Eagles signed Mekhi Beccton to a one-year deal in April of 2024, the idea was that he would be a backup swing tackle. But Stoutland wanted to try him out at guard and it stuck. Becton ended up beating out Tyler Steen to earn the right guard spot for the 2024 Eagles and was a part of the line that blocked for Barkley during his 2,000-yard season. Becton left after the Super Bowl, signing a 2-year, $20 million deal with the Chargers, although his 2025 season in LA did not go to plan.
Edge rusher: Connor Barwin
The Eagles signed Barwin to a 6-year, $36 million deal after Barwin finished up his first four years with the Houston Texans. Barwin ended up playing four seasons with the Eagles, starting 64 games and had 31 1/2 sacks, which ranks tied for 16th in franchise history. Barwin’s best season with the Eagles came in 2014, when he had a career-high 14 1/2 sacks and made the only Pro Bowl of his NFL career. Barwin finished up his playing career with the Rams and Giants but has been back in the Eagles’ front office since 2020 and is currently the head of football development and strategy.
Defensive tackle: Javon Hargrave
Roseman saw the vision with Hargrave when he signed the former Pittsburgh Steelers DT to a 3-year, $39 million contract in 2020. Hargrave got a chance to play in an attacking style of defense in Philly and had 23 sacks in three years. Hargrave made a Pro Bowl in 2021 and followed it up with an 11-sack season in 2022 to help the Eagles get to Super Bowl LVII. In the 2023 offseason, Hargrave signed a big deal with the 49ers in free agency and spent the 2025 season with the Vikings.
Edge: Haason Reddick
The South Jersey and Temple product signed a 3-year, $45 million contract with the Eagles in March of 2022 and immediately outplayed that contract. In his first season with the Eagles, Reddick had 16 sacks in a Pro Bowl season and followed it up with an 11-sack Pro Bowl season in 2023. Reddick desired a new contract and the Eagles traded him to the Jets in the 2024 offseason. It was a short two-year stint for Reddick with the Eagles but he had 27 sacks in those two seasons. During those two seasons, just Myles Garrett, Nick Bosa and Micah Parsons had more sacks than Reddick.
Edge: Chris Long
OK, so there wasn’t another great option at defensive tackle so we’re pretending it’s third down and we’re sending out the NASCAR package. Because Long belongs on this list. Coming off a Super Bowl victory with the Patriots, the Eagles signed Long to a two-year contract in late March of 2017. In his two seasons with the Birds, Long played in 32 games as a third-edge rusher and had 11 1/2 sacks in the regular season. His pressure on Case Keenum in the NFC Championship Game led to the tide-turning pick-6 that helped propel the Eagles to the Super Bowl.
Linebacker: Zack Baun
When the Eagles signed Baun to a one-year, $3.5 million contract in the 2024 offseason, he was mostly an afterthought. Baun was a career special teamer with the Saints and most figured he’d be a special teamer and part-time rusher in Philly. But Vic Fangio wanted to try Baun at inside linebacker and it changed Baun’s career and the course of history for the Eagles. Baun during the 2024 season blossomed into the best linebacker in football, was an All-Pro and helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl. He was rewarded in the 2025 offseason with a 3-year, $51 million contract and is still considered one of the best linebackers in football.
Linebacker: Nigel Bradham
When Jim Schwartz took over as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator under Doug Pederson in 2016, the Eagles brought in several of his former players. But none had the impact that Bradham did. That initial contract in 2016 was a 2-year, $7 million deal and Bradham became a key starter on the Super Bowl LII team. In his four years in Philly, Bradham started 58 games and was a key member of Schwartz’s defenses. Bradham had a few off-the-field incidents but made plays on the field.
Nickel: Patrick Robinson
The Eagles signed Robinson to a one-year deal worth just $775K in 2017 and it didn’t look like it was going to work. The former first-round pick from New Orleans was struggling mightily at outside cornerback that training camp but then Roseman traded for Ronald Darby. The Darby trade bumped Robinson inside to nickel corner and Robinson began to excel. He was a huge piece of the defense in 2017 and his pick-6 in the NFC Championship Game is one of the biggest plays in franchise history. It was just one year with the Eagles but it was a magical one.
Corner: James Bradberry
The Eagles signed the former Giants corner to a one-year, $7.25 million deal in 2022 and Bradberry played at a high level that first season. He started all 17 games with the Eagles and was named to the All-Pro second team that year. He was a starter on the Super Bowl LVII team and owned up to it after getting called for a crucial (and ticky-tacky) defensive hold against the Chiefs. Bradberry ended up signing a three-year extension with the Eagles the following March and that was a mistake. Bradberry’s play really fell off in 2023 and he hasn’t played in an NFL game since.
Corner: Cary Williams
This spot came down to either Williams or Adoree’ Jackson. If you think it should be Jackson, that’s fine. I went with Williams, who signed a 3-year, $17 million deal in 2013. In two seasons with the Eagles, Williams started 32 games and had 5 interceptions and 21 pass breakups. The Eagles released him in March of 2015.
Safety: Malcolm Jenkins
There were other safeties available in 2014 who would have been more popular picks than Jenkins but Roseman nailed this one. The Eagles signed Jenkins to a 3-year, $15 1/2 million deal after he spent the first five years of his career in New Orleans. Jenkins was just inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame this past season. Jenkins spent six seasons with the Eagles and made three Pro Bowl teams. He was the defensive leader of the Super Bowl LII team and an iron man of those Jim Schwartz defenses.
Safety: Rodney McLeod
In 2016, when Roseman was back in power, he had a really strong offseason. One of those big moves came when he signed McLeod to a 5-year, $35 million contract. McLeod worked his way from being a UDFA to a starter in St. Louis and ended up playing six seasons with the Eagles, starting 75 games with 11 interceptions and 34 pass breakups. He was sometimes overshadowed by his Pro Bowl teammate Jenkins, but McLeod was a really solid player and a Super Bowl champion.