The trade gavel has banged three times on major deals in the run-up to this week’s NFL free agency kickoff, and none of those closing strikes were close to sending Philadelphia Eagles wideout A.J. Brown to another NFL team.
That may change Monday. Or the Eagles’ continued asking price of a first-round draft pick for Brown could end up halting talks with teams until some free agency clutter clears out.
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That mini quagmire in Philadelphia is one of the major storylines that has settled onto the doorstep of free agency, with three major trades getting consummated before the Eagles have gotten close to a deal for Brown. Among them: the Las Vegas Raiders sending edge rusher Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens; the Kansas City Chiefs flipping cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams; and the Chicago Bears trading wideout DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills.
Interestingly, one of those deals also pulled back the curtain on one of the other storylines that now bears watching in the first week of free agency. Specifically, the Dallas Cowboys’ pursuit of Crosby, which included an offer of a first- and second-round pick for the star edge rusher. While the Ravens ultimately surrendered the two first-round picks that Las Vegas sought, the Cowboys’ aggressive involvement added some traction to the declaration of team owner Jerry Jones at the NFL’s scouting combine, when he told reporters Dallas would be willing to “bust the budget” in free agency and spend “more money than we have.”
The remarks predictably drew some eye-rolling in the Dallas fan base, which has heard Jones make big promises about free agency in the recent past, only to see the proclamations flop once the contracts started flying. But the Cowboys were clearly the other big bidder for Crosby, which should signal that Dallas will have some kind of presence in both the edge rusher and high-end player arenas — either in free agency or if another trade presents itself before the draft.
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That reality has made the NFC East rivals two spicy teams to watch, albeit for somewhat different reasons. While the Cowboys are coming in from a point of aggressive adding, the Eagles have to figure out what kind of subtraction is in order while also balancing some additions. And it doesn’t involve just the future of Brown, either. Two league sources told Yahoo Sports last week that the Eagles are at least open to listening to offers for defensive lineman Jalen Carter, who is entering his fourth season and is now projected to have a fifth-year team option that is expected to exceed $27 million in 2027.
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For now, there are some economic factors weighing on Carter’s next potential deal with the Eagles. Among them, Philadelphia extended nose tackle Jordan Davis with a three-year, $78 million deal and are expected to begin working on massive extensions with cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean after the 2026 season. While already assumed to be a pair of expensive contracts, the Eagles’ task of getting Mitchell and DeJean extended in 2027 was put into some stark focus Sunday when the Los Angeles Rams signed McDuffie to a record-breaking four-year, $124 million deal at his position. That contract took the lid off a cornerback position that has been slowly creeping toward a “catch-up” offseason that would put top-end CBs onto a similar salary plateau as top-end wide receivers. That time is coming both this offseason and likely next. And the Eagles have two of the deals that will shape the market coming up when extension windows for Mitchell and DeJean open next offseason.
Keeping Jalen Carter around long term might not be financially doable for the Eagles. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
(Mitchell Leff via Getty Images)
After both earned first team All-Pro nods in 2025, Mitchell and DeJean are on track to sign elite cornerback extensions once the window opens one year from now. Add that future expense to the Eagles trying to get a deal done with edge rusher Jaelan Phillips in the coming days, too. Phillips will be a contract to watch, after the Eagles acquired him last season from the Miami Dolphins at the trade deadline for a third-round pick. The Eagles’ coaching staff and front office believe Phillips, who will turn 27 this offseason, still has an immense pass-rushing ceiling after finally playing a healthy season in 2025. He’ll draw interest on the open market, too, which could drive his next contract average over the $20 million per season mark.
It’s unlikely Carter would ever be dealt without a significant player or massive haul of draft picks coming back in return, but 2025 was also a season of regression as the 2024 second team All-Pro dealt with a lingering shoulder injury for much of the season. It put Philadelphia into an interesting crossroads this offseason — with Carter now eligible for his own extension, but some lingering concern about his injury-saddled 2025 and what his value will look like if he has another similar season in 2026.
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It wouldn’t be an offseason without general manager Howie Roseman making some big moves. What he’s doing with Brown and Carter — and whether he’ll get a deal done with Phillips — will all be at the top of that list.
Some other odds and ends as we head into free agency this week …
How tense will it get between Chiefs, Travis Kelce?
There’s some skepticism in both league and agent circles about Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce truly testing the market in free agency — but it’s also not being entirely ruled out.
What’s clear is the Chiefs would like to bring Kelce back at a salary that would be a pay cut from the $17.125 million average from his most recent two-year extension. A reality working in the Chiefs’ favor is that Kelce turns 37 next season, is three seasons removed from his last All-Pro appearance, and isn’t expected to draw an elite level contract from a team that would motivate him to split with the Chiefs.
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Don’t be surprised if Kansas City plays this one tougher than expected and Kelce returns to the fold later into free agency.
3 teams in running for C Tyler Linderbaum
Offensive linemen, especially tackles (even marginal ones), are often flaunted over in free agency. It’s less often that you see it happen with a center, but that’s part of what is expected to shape some of the early headlines with multiple teams going after Tyler Linderbaum. Among those in the fray, the Raiders, Washington Commanders and Baltimore Ravens will be prominent. Don’t be shocked if a surprise team emerges and lands Linderbaum with the most lucrative deal for a center in NFL history. A multitude of teams could use Linderbaum to help anchor their line, and that’s going to make him one of the more intriguing free agency chases this week.
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Other observations on Bears, Commanders, Alec Pierce and Kyler Murray
The Chicago Bears weren’t major players in the pursuit of Maxx Crosby, leaving open the question of how the franchise is going to attack its lack of an edge rush. Either the Bears have another player they’re confident in landing during free agency, or there is some optimism that the deep defensive line class of this NFL Draft will produce some hits for Chicago with their three top-60 picks. …
Indianapolis Colts wideout Alec Pierce is going to land a staggering deal in free agency, but one interesting player to keep an eye on is Green Bay’s Romeo Doubs. Some teams believe he can be a quality No. 2 wideout in the right system. Relative to his numbers (2,424 receiving yards and 21 touchdown catches), don’t be surprised if Doubs nets a nice intermediate wideout contract. …
One position that I’m certain will get filled by a free agent is the Commanders’ running back spot. The Commanders have been doing a lot of work on the class of running backs and seem intent on landing one of the top two or three on the market. …
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And finally, one player who could be on the market for a while due to his own design is quarterback Kyler Murray. It sounds like his camp is more concerned with making sure he lands in the perfect spot to get his starting career back on the right track. If that takes longer than expected, it will be because of a push to study teams and see where some of them intend to go with quarterbacks in the draft, as well as scheme and coaching fits. Of course, beggars can’t be choosers and Murray may have to simply deal with the market he has rather than the one that would be most ideal.
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