Howie Roseman built a massive team that paid for star players while deftly circumventing the salary cap and keeping the cap hit below league average. Last February, after Philadelphia won the Super Bowl, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow made comments about the Eagles paying their players.
“The Eagles pay everybody,” Burrow said. “That’s what it looks like. Whatever they’re doing.”
During his end-of-season press conference, Howie Roseman gave an inside look at the process, what happened and how the pendulum will swing in favor of the defense. Dallas Goedert, Nakobe Dean, Reed Blankenship, Jaylan Phillips, Adoree Jackson, Marcus Epps, Fred Johnson, Brandon Graham and Jahan Dotson are among the 20 free agents set to hit the open market. Dean and Phillips are the only two with priority, and both will move on based on market conditions.
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Still, Jaylen Carter, Nolan Smith, Jordan Davis, Mauro Ojomo and others are just a few of the guards that general manager Howie Roseman hopes to retain long-term.
The Eagles are very good at roster construction, and when you’re successful, you risk losing talent.
As the new season approaches, we’re looking at five players who could be cut, along with their contract numbers exceeds the upper limit.
DB Michael Carter II
Only Howie Roseman and Vic Fangio really know what they think of the former Jets cornerback. Back in October, Philadelphia sent John Metchie and a 2027 sixth-round pick to the New York Jets for CB Michael Carter and a 2027 seventh-round pick. Carter II is a fifth-year veteran who struggled this season but is contracted through 2027. Carter signed a three-year, $30.75 million contract extension with the Jets through the 2027 season and will be under team control for the next 2.5 years. Carter II has played in 106 games since joining the Eagles, with his most coming in Week 12 against the Cowboys (25) and Week 18 in a loss to the Commanders (65). In those games, Carter II had a PFF grade of 75.5.
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Salary cap savings: $8,736,000
DB Sydney Brown
Brown is entering his fourth year with most of his success and playing time coming on special teams. The Eagles drafted Andrew Mukuba in the second round last spring, but were so unsettled by Brown’s performance in the lineup that Marcus Epps eventually regained the starting job. Brown took 249 shots on defense and had a defensive rating of 58.1.
Salary cap savings: $1,533,969
DB Keeley Ringo
Like Brown, Ringo was most effective on special teams. Ringo played 312 defensive snaps and had a defensive rating of 49.2, ranking 104th among 114 NFL cornerbacks.
Salary cap savings: $1,145,000
DB Jakorian Bennett
Bennett, acquired from the Las Vegas Raiders in a trade after missing six games with a pectoral injury, had a 29.8 coverage grade when he did play (101 snaps).
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Salary cap savings: $1,145,000
Wild Card: WR AJ Brown (trade)
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman had a strong response when asked about the possibility of trading the All-Pro wide receiver. Since arriving in Philadelphia, Brown has earned All-Pro honors, Pro Bowl honors, two 1,400+ yard honors, and has accumulated 5,000+ receiving yards since joining the Eagles. We don’t think Brown should leave, but it would require huge compensation, and Jeffrey Lurie would need to accept the ramifications of a huge salary cap. If Brown is traded before June 1, the Eagles will incur $43,515,106 in dead cap charges, according to Over The Cap. If Brown remains on the roster in 2026, his salary cap hit will be $23,393,497. If he trades after June 1, the death cap hit will be $43,515,106, with $27,161,609 also counting toward the 2027 cap.
Salary cap (-$20,055,206), dead salary cap reaches $43,448,704
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This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Philadelphia Eagles potential 2026 offseason layoffs and casualty cap
