Eagles Mailbag: Could Dallas Goedert Return to Philadelphia?
While the Philadelphia Eagles continue to make much-needed changes to the coaching staff, the roster is far from a finished product. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has plenty of difficult questions to answer this offseason and it’ll be interesting to see how Philadelphia’s roster will look in a few months.
The Eagles are set to see multiple starters, on both sides of the ball, become free agents next month. Yet Philadelphia won’t have much money to spend in free agency. Could Dallas Goedert return to the City of Brotherly Love?
I’ll answer that question and much more in my latest Eagles mailbag.
@Beardaknowledge on X asked: “Chances the Eagles resign Dallas Goedert? Other contacts that could be renegotiated (not named Carter or Davis) that could help free up cap space for free agency?”
The 31-year-old tight end bet on himself last offseason when he signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Eagles. Goedert enjoyed his healthiest season in years, which led to him hauling in a career-high 12 receiving touchdowns. Yet his future in Philadelphia remains uncertain, at best.
Due to Goedert’s renegotiated deal in 2025, he is set to be an unrestricted free agent, while also counting as nearly a $20.5 million dead cap hit for the Eagles. Therefore, it would make sense for the Eagles to figure out a way to sign him to an extension and kick that can down the road.
While I personally think that Philadelphia should just eat the dead cap hit and invest in younger options at the position, a return could make sense for both sides. On a recent livestream of The Philly Special Show, I put the chances of Goedert returning at 60%.
As far as potential restructures go, there really isn’t much that stands out. Releasing Michael Carter II would create nearly $9 million in cap space for the Eagles, which seems like an obvious choice for the team to make.
@NicTosTee on X asked: “Shifting towards the draft TE is the easy position of NEED followed by OL equally. Would you prefer to address this during FA, or the draft? Personally I’d love Linderbaum in eagles green, Jurgy gets shifted to guard or traded?”
Regardless of which Eagles players return, I would lean towards addressing both positions early in the 2026 NFL Draft. It seems like both tight end and offensive tackle are rather deep in this year’s draft class and Philadelphia must take advantage of that.
I don’t see the Eagles spending a ton of money on their offensive line in free agency. They’ve already spent a ton in that area. If they wanted to splurge, my guess is that it would be more likely at tight end for a player such as Cade Otton or Isaiah Likely.
@Jonatha56485507 on X asked: “If the Eagles decide to move on from Cam Jurgens, what would be the trade value and who do you think would replace him?”
It’s truly hard to gauge what Cam Jurgens’ trade value would be this offseason. He’s signed to one of the highest-paid contracts at the position and there haven’t been a ton of centers traded in recent years. His injury history is obviously a major factor, as well.
Back in 2021, Rodney Hudson was traded along with a seventh-round pick from the Raiders to the Cardinals for a third-round pick. Yet Hudson was an older player and a three-time Pro Bowler at that point. My guess is that the Eagles would be hoping to get a similar pick in return, which might be tough.
If the Eagles did move on from Jurgens, they could see what Drew Kendall or Willie Lampkin have to offer at center. Former Packers starting center Sean Rhyan is also set to be an unrestricted free agent, yet he would cost significantly more than either of the younger options already on Philadelphia’s roster.
@randoAndroid on X asked: “From a hypothetical point, how would Micah Parsons current GB deal have affected our cap situation now? Just to use as a stand in for a Maxx Crosby scenario”
It’s hard to tell, simply because the contract structure for Micah Parsons’ deal may have been entirely different in Philadelphia. Yet if he signed the same exact contract, Parsons would have a $19.2 million cap hit for the Eagles in 2026.
Depending on where you look, the Eagles are projected to have around $20.5 million in cap space. Therefore, the team would be severely handicapped by Parsons’ deal. Yet as I previously mentioned, the structure of his deal in Philadelphia may have been much different.
In the end, if Roseman wants to make a massive splash this offseason, he’ll figure out exactly how to do so. It’s reached the point where I have stopped doubting Roseman and the potential moves that the Eagles can make.
@CMPXMV on X asked: “Eff, mary, kill but it's the offseason so in that same theme pick one for: trade, resign, sign, extend. Trades can be trading out or for a player and extend would be your number one priority extension guy!”
Trade: I could go for a big, controversial trade like moving A.J. Brown but I’ll keep it simple. I would trade Kelee Ringo to a cornerback-needy team in exchange for another team’s unwanted depth along the offensive line or at tight end.
Re-Sign: Jaelan Phillips seems like the obvious answer here. It’s clear how much Vic Fangio values him and I believe that he’s a good enough player to exceed in Philadelphia beyond Fangio’s tenure.
Sign: Cade Otton is my favorite free agent target for the Eagles this offseason. He’ll turn 27 in April and could immediately step-in as Philadelphia’s new TE1 as a solid receiver and blocker, while also having experience working with Josh Grizzard down in Tampa Bay.
Extend: Jordan Davis has earned a long-term contract extension. I’d be shocked if Davis doesn’t have a “C” on his jersey next season and he deserves to be rewarded like a foundational player, both on and off the field, for the Eagles.
@coopsch17 on X asked: “What do you think the biggest reason for the Eagles to keep Aaron Moorehead is given that he hasn’t produced an above average receiver in the time he’s been with the birds besides AJ and Devonta?”
While I wasn’t happy to see that Aaron Moorehead is returning as the Eagles wide receivers coach, I don’t necessarily think that it’s the end of the world either. The Eagles have rarely involved the third wide receiver during Moorehead’s tenure as the position coach in Philadelphia.
Therefore, it’s easy to say that Moorehead hasn’t been able to develop talent outside of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Yet I also understand the Eagles wanting to potentially see Moorehead get another opportunity in an offensive scheme that’ll likely involve more than just two wide receivers.
@aj_muse_ on X asked: “Who are your dark horse Free Agents you think the Eagles may sign?”
I have already mentioned that I believe the Eagles should focus on addressing the offensive line and tight end this offseason. Therefore, here are a few dark horse free agents that I have my eye on in 2026:
Justin Skule, OL, Vikings: With Jeff Stoutland moving on, it could mean that the Eagles will let Fred Johnson walk and add a new swing tackle. Justin Skule spent last season in Minnesota with new Eagles offensive line coach Chris Kuper and also has experience working in Kyle Shanahan’s offense, along with working under Josh Grizzard in Tampa Bay.
Darian Kinnard, OL, Packers: How about a reunion with old friend Darian Kinnard? After the Eagles traded Kinnard to the Packers, he is set to be a restricted free agent this offseason. Kinnard’s versatility, along with his one season of experience in Green Bay, could make him an intriguing target for the Eagles.
Josh Whyle, TE, Packers: The Eagles will simply need to add bodies at tight end and Josh Whyle has shown promise at times. Similar to Kinnard, Whyle also spent one season in Green Bay and is set to be a restricted free agent in 2026.
Ko Kieft, TE, Buccaneers: It’s no secret that Philadelphia’s tight ends significantly struggled to block last season. Ko Kieft was utilized in a hybrid role by the Buccaneers and would immediately provide an upgrade with his blocking ability. Kieft landed on injured reserve following a leg injury last season, yet he could still be worth taking a chance on.