With every new coaching staff comes the desire to bring in players familiar with the shiny new system. We saw Jim Schwartz bring in former Buffalo players such as Leodis McKelvin and Nigel Bradham, so why shouldn't we expect former Colts/Chargers players to come to the Eagles?
Oh.. the cap? Well.. let's not talk about that.
This article to simply let you know about available players that have played under any of the new Eagles coaching staff. If I forgot any names, I'm sure you'll let me know politely.
Offensive free agents with connections to Eagles coaches
Quarterbacks
Jacoby Brissett - Will the Eagles need a new back up quarterback?
Dak Prescott - Brian Johnson coached him at Mississippi State (eyes emoji). Imagine the complete chaos that would happen if the Eagles traded Wentz and signed Dak.
Ryan Fitzpatrick - Another backup QB option. The best year in Fitzpatrick's career (16 game season) came in 2015 with the Jets. He threw for 3,905 yards (highest), 31 TDs (highest), 15 INTs (lowest in full 16 game season), and went 10-6 (best record by far). His QB coach was Kevin Patullo, current Eagles passing game coordinator.
Blaine Gabbert - If Curtis Modkins gets hired, he was SF's OC when Gabbert was the QB in 2016.
Running Backs
Marlon Mack - At 25, the talented, yet oft-injured, running back will have his suitors. But if he wants to try to maximize his value for 2022 free agency and take a one-year prove-it deal, his offensive coordinator from Indianapolis should be waiting. (No, this is not to replace Miles Sanders)
Le'Veon Bell - Ready for this stretch? Bell's best years in Pittsburgh were with Todd Haley at offensive coordinator. Nick Sirianni's first NFL gig was with the Todd Haley-led Chiefs in 2009. Haley and Sirianni have had a relationship since they've worked together. Sirianni texted Haley last week after he got the job. Could Haley steer the new Eagles HC to taking a chance on Bell? It's a reach but.....
Phillip Lindsay - Another one connected to a potential Modkins hire. Modkins' development of running backs is extremely impressive, Lindsay included. He went from being a UDFA to one of the best running backs in the league in a very short space of time. Lindsay will have a ton of suitors and is a restricted free agent, but this could be an interesting one if Modkins is hired.
Wide Receivers
Larry Fitzgerald - Want another tinfoil hat theory? Todd Haley was his offensive coordinator from 2007-2008. Frank Reich was his WR coach in 2012. Mike McCoy, former head coach of the Chargers, was his offensive coordinator in 2018. Connect. The. Dots.
Ok.. sorry.. tin foil off. (Yeah he may retire. Who cares)
A.J. Green - I won't bore you with this one too much. Maybe I already did. But Matt Burke (maybe still on the staff?) spent two seasons with the Bengals. Former Eagles QB coach Bill Lazor was the Bengals QB coach/OC from 2016-2018. Sorry for stretching too much.
T.Y. Hilton - Obviously. A member of the Colts since 2012, Hilton is the most obvious free agent connected to the Eagles and their needs. Hilton spent 2018-2020 with Sirianni and Patullo. Patullo was the wide receivers coach from 2018-19 prior to moving to passing game coordinator.
Zach Pascal - If you remember from my mock draft, Sirianni loves his physical wide receivers who can block. That's Zach Pascal. Having only known Sirianni and Patullo as his assistant and position coaches, Pascal may want to head for familiarity in his free-agent search. However, he did go 0/1 passing in 2020, so not a good bet for the QB factory.
Corey Davis - Spent one year with new Eagles TE coach Jason Michael when he was the QB coach in Tennessee. That's all.
JuJu Smith-Schuster - Another Todd Haley connection. That's all.
Jordan Matthews - For the brand.
Tight End
Tyler Kroft - See A.J. Green
Mo Alie-Cox - Former offensive coordinator, former tight ends coach, and former passing game coordinator all in Philadelphia. He's 27 and won't command a big payday.
Trey Burton - Another obvious fit. Superbowl Hero in Philly. Wastes away in Chicago for two years. Plays for Sirianni. Comes home? We'll see.
Hunter Henry - Henry played for Sirianni and new Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen in 2016-17, and continued to play under Steichen through 2020. Henry will command a decent payday, probably too expensive for the Eagles, but this would be another sense of familiarity for Henry.
Offensive line
I honestly don't think it's worth listing names of offensive linemen. I think this will be a position targeted in the draft and will develop the youth already there. If Kelce retires, you have options on the team.
Continue to next page for defensive connections
Defensive free agents with connections to Eagles coaches
Defensive line/LB
Leonard Floyd - After a dud of a career with the Bears, Floyd had a hell of a contract year for the Rams. He played under new Eagles defensive line coach Tracy Rocker at Georgia.
Everson Griffen - While not his position coach, Jonathan Gannon was the assistant DBs coach for the Vikings from 2014-2017.
Jeremiah Attaochu - Attaochu was drafted by the Chargers in 2014 and spent four seasons with the team. Sirianni and Steichen were both on the coaching staff during that period, albeit on the other side of the ball.
Denico Autry - Whereas Attaochu spent his years with Sirianni as a Charger, Autry spent his years with Sirianni as a Colt. After four seasons in Oakland, Autry signed with the Colts in 2018. Rotating between DT and EDGE, he had 20 sacks in three seasons with the Colts. Gannon is surely going to advocate for this signing.
Justin Houston - Howie loves his veteran signings, Houston would be a good target. Houston spent two seasons with the Colts (2019 and 2020) and had 19 sacks in two seasons with the team. In 2014, he had 22 sacks. Houston is also familiar with new Eagles coach Jay Valai (exact role is unclear). Valai spent one year (2018) in Kansas City as assistant defensive backs coach and defensive quality control coach.
Melvin Ingram - Another member of the Sirianni/Steichen Chargers, Ingram has all the talent in the world but has trouble staying healthy. At 32, he may only command a short term deal to prove himself.
Jordan Jenkins - Jenkins has spent all five years of his career with the Jets, where new Eagles defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson was defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordinator from 2017-2020.
Manti Te'o - Sirianni, Steichen, and Michael all spent time with Te'o when he was on the Chargers. In four years with the Chargers, he had 221 tackles and two INT. His New Orleans career was unspectacular and played one game with the Bears in 2020: a 21-9 loss against the Saints in Week 17 in which he recorded zero stats in 54 defensive snaps.
Anthony Walker - Very expensive, yet very good and young linebacker that spent his entire four-year career with the Colts. He has 343 tackles in his four seasons and three INTs. He could provide the kind of MIKE production the Eagles have been lacking since DeMeco Ryans.
Denzel Perryman - Spent his entire six-year career with the Chargers. Sirianni and Steichen are very familiar with him. Merely a rotational piece, he could provide solid depth (if he can stay healthy).
Raekwon McMillan - If Matt Burke is moved to LBs coach, he may suggest adding his star LB from the Dolphins in 2018. He missed his rookie 2017 season with a torn ACL. In his sophomore season, McMillan had 105 tackles. In the two years after, one with Miami and one with Las Vegas, he had 99 total. Reuniting with Burke could bring him back to that 2018 form, and allow for a cheap addition in a much-needed position.
Neville Hewitt - A breakout season for Hewitt in 2020 may make him too expensive for the Eagles, but he could get a deal with incentives to prove his 2020 wasn't a fluke. He spent the last three seasons with the Jets, where Dennard Wilson was on staff, and spent his first three with the Dophins, two of which with Matt Burke.
Reggie Ragland - Ragland spent 2018 with Kansas City where Jay Valai was defensive quality control coach.
Margus Hunt - Hunt spent 2017-2019 with the Colts before playing for two different teams in 2020.
Davon Godchaux - Godchaux spent two seasons with Burke in Miami. The year after Burke left, he had 75 tackles from NT.
Solomon Thomas - This has been a pipe dream of mine. Thomas spent all but two games on IR due to injury, so it's possible he wants to re-sign to build his value again. The former number three pick in the 2017 draft has yet to live up to his selection, but he'd be a great addition to the defensive line. His time with the 49ers also included 1,764 snaps on special teams in three years. New Eagles ST coach Michael Clay was the 49ers assistant ST coach/assistant strength and conditioning coach from 2016-2019.
Damien Wilson - Wilson has played five years in the NFL , three with Dallas and the last two with Kansas City. His connection to Philly is new LBs coach Nick Rallis. Rallis, 27, played linebacker at the University of Minnesota from 2013-2016, which overlapped with Wilson in 2013 and 2014.
De'Vondre Campbell - Whereas Wilson played with Rallis for two seasons, Campbell played with Rallis for three. Campbell was strong at MIKE for the Cardinals this past season, registering 99 tackles.
Eric Wilson - Wilson (27 in September) is coming off a 122 tackle season. Quite possibly the ultimate "clean up" tackler as he had 60 assisted tackles, but he'd still provide an upgrade.
Todd Davis - Once a prolific tackler, Davis fell off in Minnesota in 2020. He had a lower role in Minnesota, but he was still a very good run stopper. His pedigree suggests a bounce back season, he could have it with his Minnesota assistant LB coach in Rallis.
Kamu Grugier-Hill - Because we look alike.
Secondary
Mackensie Alexander - Alexander spent two seasons with Gannon in Minnesota (2016-2017). He's been unspectacular but he'd offer a veteran presence in the DB room.
Charvarius Ward - Ward, 25, is a restricted free agent and the Chiefs surely will place an early-round tender on him. Ward spent his rookie year with Jay Valai.
Xavier Rhodes - Probably the most likely of all free agents, Rhodes is extremely familiar with Johnathan Gannon. Rhodes was a Pro Bowler and All-Pro with Gannon in Minnesota and sort of fell off a cliff (despite one more PB nod) when Gannon left after 2017. He then signed with the Colts in 2020 largely because of his relationship with Gannon and had an extremely productive year: 16 games, two INT (one pick 6), and allowed 51.9% completion when targeted. At 31 he’s definitely not the long-term solution at CB, but he can provide immediate help at CB2 across from Darius Slay.
Akhello Witherspoon - Witherspoon spent his only four seasons with the 49ers, where Michael Clay was a coach.
Dontae Johnson - A key member of the SF special teams from 2014-2017 and then again in 2020, Johnson could be a key special keys contribution. Johnson is also from Pennington, NJ, which is about an hour outside Philly.
Emmanuel Moseley - Another young CB from the 49ers.
Jason Verrett - Verrett spent his first four seasons of his career with the Chargers, where.. well, you know by now. He was a first-round pick in the 2014 draft and completely failed to live up to expectations. After tearing his Achilles and spending all of 2018 on IR, he signed with the 49ers for the 2019 season. He missed all but one game that year with an ankle injury but came back with a vengeance in 2020. A resurgent Verrett reuniting with the coaching staff that drafted him could be a good situation for the Eagles.
Desmond King - Eagles offensive coordinator had to face off against the former All-Pro in practices, so I'm sure he could provide some intel on King. He was traded to the Titans in 2020. King is a slot corner mostly, but can also play some safety.
Malik Hooker - Hooker, 25 in April, is an especially intriguing option at safety. He has yet to play a full 16 game season in his four years, but he's been extremely productive when healthy. He's familiar with Johnathan Gannon and could revitalize his career with Philly.
Jayron Kearse - Kearse spent 2016 & 2017 with Gannon in Minnesota. He's mostly a special teams addition.
Anthony Harris - Another player who may command too much money, Harris spent some time with Gannon in Minnesota. Harris would provide a lot of production at the safety spot and be a great mentor for the younger players.
Marcus Maye - A safety developed by new Eagles secondary coach Dennard Wilson, Maye (28 in March) could opt for familiarity and hop on I-95 to head to Philly. Maye would be a nice long term piece at safety.
Photo by MSA/Icon Sportswire
