Eagles Mailbag: Are There Too Many Chefs in the Kitchen in Philadelphia?
The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine has come to an end and now the Philadelphia Eagles will shift their attention towards free agency. Yet the Eagles have also made another notable addition to the coaching staff, as former Houston Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson is reportedly heading to Philadelphia.
While Johnson’s exact role remains unclear, the Eagles have interviewed him for their offensive coordinator vacancy several times. Yet Johnson’s arrival raises another potential question: Are there too many chefs in the kitchen in Philadelphia?
I’ll answer that question and much more in my latest Eagles mailbag.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni just watched one of the most talented offenses in the NFL struggle for an entire season due to the lack of experience of a first-year offensive coordinator. Another contributing factor to Kevin Patullo’s failure in Philadelphia was a lack of experienced voices around him. Therefore, it’s hard to fault Sirianni’s approach with the new-look coaching staff in 2026.
While some may view the situation as too many voices in the room, I believe that it’s the complete opposite. The Eagles needed to overhaul their coaching staff and being able to hire three of the finalist for their offensive coordinator job is a luxury, not a detriment.
It’s also worth noting that Sean Mannion, Josh Grizzard and Jerrod Johnson have all coached in some iteration of the offensive scheme that they will likely utilize in Philadelphia. All three have spent time as a coach working with a branch from the Mike Shanahan and/or Sean McVay tree.
If there were no schematic ties and it seemed like a bunch of disjointed parts, I would be more concerned. Yet it seems like the coaches involved have humbled themselves and are willing to work together towards a common goal in Philadelphia, which should also lead to more individual success as well.
Regardless of if Dallas Goedert returns to Philadelphia or not, it’s time for the Eagles to revamp their tight end room. Goedert is 31-years old and his best days are in the past. The Eagles have to address tight end both in free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft. It isn’t a matter of one or the other, it needs to be all of the above.
Philadelphia failed to take advantage of a strong tight end class in the 2025 NFL Draft, which has put them in a tough spot this offseason. If Goedert signs elsewhere, my guess is that the Eagles would look to trade for a veteran tight end or sign a veteran tight end that has been released by another team and wouldn’t impact their compensatory pick formula.
Therefore, it might be difficult to envision the Eagles paying a ton of money to someone like David Njoku, Isaiah Likely or Cade Otton. If a player like Dawson Knox or T.J. Hockenson is released, those would likely be more appealing options for Philadelphia. Then they could also still address tight end on day two or early on day three in the 2026 NFL Draft.
I would lean towards the second option and it’s not particularly close, in my opinion. While David Njoku might not be the same level of TE1 as Goedert, the upside of Eli Stowers and Charlie Kolar far outweighs the upside of both Josh Whyle and Riley Nowakowski.
Stowers has legitimate TE1 potential, while Kolar provides an intriguing blend of size and blocking ability that last year’s roster was severely lacking. I think Whyle has some untapped potential, yet Nowakowski will likely be limited to some type of hybrid tight end/fullback role in the NFL.
It’s hard to predict which free agents will slip through the cracks and end up settling for near veteran minimum deals. Therefore, I’d focus on players that are released by other teams and wouldn’t count against the compensatory pick formula.
The Dolphins are reportedly expected to release edge rusher Bradley Chubb, who would fit in Philadelphia if Jaelan Phillips signs elsewhere. Chubb has extensive experience working with Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and would help fill the void on the edge alongside Nolan Smith Jr. and Jalyx Hunt.
I don’t expect the Eagles to sign any big name free agents, especially outsiders. Philadelphia will likely focus on re-signing their own free agents, primarily edge rusher Jaelan Phillips. If they are unable to re-sign Phillips, they could pivot and spend that money elsewhere on Goedert, Reed Blankenship or contact extensions for both Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter.
If the Eagles do dip their toe into outside free agents, Philadelphia will focus on the bargain bins and players that were released elsewhere. I’d focus on players that have connections to the new coaches in Philadelphia, here are a few names to watch for:
Jonathan Jones, CB - Coached by Mike Pellegrino for several seasons in New England
Jalen Nailor, WR - Played with Sean Mannion in Minnesota, Jerrod Johnson and Chris Kuper were also on the Vikings coaching staff
Ko Kieft, TE - Coached by Josh Grizzard for two seasons in Tampa Bay
While I’ve learned to never say never, it seems like the Eagles moved on from Haason Reddick at the perfect time. Since leaving Philadelphia, Reddick has recorded just 3.5 sacks over the last two seasons. It’s clear that his play has declined and it feels like the Eagles should be able to find better edge rushers to fill out the roster this offseason.
If the Eagles are unable to re-sign Phillips, I wouldn’t expect them to pivot to another high-priced free agent. Odafe Oweh excelled after being traded to the Los Angeles Chargers last season and I’d expect him to have a relatively strong marker in free agent this offseason.
Maybe another former Penn State edge rusher like Arnold Ebiketie could make sense for the Eagles on a one-year, prove-it deal. But I keep coming back to Bradley Chubb as an option for the Eagles, given that he wouldn’t negate any of their compensatory picks in 2027, since he’s expected to be released.
Honestly, I wouldn’t be shocked if both Blake Miller and Max Iheanachor are selected in the first round as well, possibly ahead of Philadelphia’s pick. Yet the Eagles should be in a good spot with the 23rd overall pick, regardless of what happens in-front of them.
While Howie Roseman will do his best to patch any holes in free agency, Philadelphia could still use long-term solutions at OL, EDGE, CB and TE. Luckily for the Eagles, those needs could align with the best player available on their board when they’re on the clock in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
If that scenario played out as you mentioned and those four players were available, I wouldn’t be surprised to Roseman actually trade back a few spots and still be able to land one of them. It’ll all depend on Philadelphia’s board and if they fall in love with one particular player, like they did with Jihaad Campbell in last year’s draft.
I’m glad that you asked this question because oh boy…I have the hottest of takes to get off of my chest following the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. This is going to sound absolutely crazy to some but I’m totally out on Georgia offensive lineman Monroe Freeling.
While Freeling checks all of the boxes from a measurables and athletic testing standpoint, I couldn’t look past how he looked during the on-field drills. Freeling legitimately looked like a newborn giraffe, as he struggled to maintain his footing and balance.
After watching Freeling play, it seemed like he had a tendency to lean forward too much, which defenders would use to their advantage. Freeling’s questionable balance showed up on the field in Indianapolis and if I was a general manager, I would let someone else take the risk on him.
Thanks to his potential and freakish athletic profile, Freeling will likely be long gone before the Eagles are on the clock. Yet given his raw skillset and the departure of Jeff Stoutland, it could be a blessing in disguise for Philadelphia.