Eagles depth chart analysis: With Dallas Goedert re-signed, what free-agent targets are next?

After kicking the can on extension talks with Dallas Goedert, the Eagles finally made good on borrowed time Sunday.

Agreeing to a one-year deal reportedly worth up to $7 million according to ESPN’s Tim McManus, Goedert’s return represents a favorable outcome for the Eagles considering how few options were left on the free-agency market. The Eagles also very notably avoided the $20-million cap hit they would have been charged with had Goedert hit free agency after the deadline passed.

On Goedert’s side of things, the 31-year-old avoided testing what have been tepid waters for most veteran tight ends this free agency and instead stays where he’s planted plenty of roots. Goedert had a career-high 11 touchdowns in his eighth season with the Eagles last year and could at least in theory hit the market with slightly more momentum next offseason if he manages to go consecutive campaigns without missing time due to injury.

There’s also some significance for Goedert coming back for Year 9. It’s more full seasons than Zach Ertz had with the team and will give him a chance to overtake 11th-place Brent Celek on the team’s all-time receiving list.

Goedert’s re-signing served as a natural bookend to the first week of free agency, but there’s plenty of work that remains for general manager Howie Roseman going into the next phase of free agency and into the NFL Draft. To determine what’s left to come, let’s go through the depth chart to assess the team’s biggest offensive needs.

Quarterbacks

On roster: Jalen Hurts, Tanner McKee

Departed: Sam Howell

Sam Howell stayed in the NFC East on a one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys, leaving the Eagles with a seamless on ramp for a young, developmental quarterback that will likely come through the draft. There’s a possibility McKee garners trade interest once the quarterback dominoes of free agency settle, but even if McKee remains on the roster it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Eagles target a quarterback in the middle rounds of the draft to give themselves a chance at the next McKee.

The team’s emphasis on searching for a trustworthy backup on a rookie contract has been affirmed enough that using a pick somewhere between the third and sixth round to find the next one would be justifiable, especially because McKee’s future may not be truly determined until the start of the regular season.

Running backs

On roster: Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, Will Shipley, Carson Steele

Free agents: A.J. Dillon

Not much to add here. The Eagles are well-situated, which leaves the biggest question facing this room whether Carson Steele and/or Cam Latu get much work as a fullback during training camp in Sean Mannion’s new offensive system.

Wide receivers

On roster: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Darius Cooper, Britain Covey, Johnny Wilson, Danny Gray, Quez Watkins

Departed: Jahan Dotson

Any momentum around an A.J. Brown trade has ground to a halt for the time being and it’s fair to wonder if the tides are turning entirely on the wide receiver’s future. It’s worth remembering, for however frustrated Brown grew last season about the complexion of the offense, there’s little reason to believe there’s no pathway back for the star receiver to return for another season. That’s especially true if the trade market for Brown never truly materializes toward meeting the Eagles reportedly lofty asking price.

While I suspect the Eagles decision to push Goedert’s void date back two separate times (as reported by The Athletic’s Zach Berman) was linked to the trade talks surrounding Brown, I’m not sure the eventual deal the Eagles agreed to with Goedert’s camp really indicates anything definitive about what happens with Brown. Avoiding the dead cap hit that loomed if Goedert left keeps the door open for the Eagles to move Brown, but I’d put it at less than 50% at this point.

Elsewhere, the Eagles could still use some depth additions to fill out the rotation behind Smith and Brown. Whether that’s a veteran like Brandin Cooks, who played with Mannion at Oregon State, or first- or second-round wideout like KC Concepcion or Omar Cooper, there’s work left to do for Roseman to make sure there’s sufficient depth and complementary forces behind the pair of aces the group’s currently headlined by.

Tight ends

On roster: Dallas Goedert, Johnny Mundt, Grant Calcaterra, EJ Jenkins, Cam Latu, Jaheim Bell

Departed: Kylen Granson

With Goedert back in the fold and Johnny Mundt representing a necessary boost in the blocking department when compared to last year’s group, this one feels rather straightforward.

The Eagles can go into the draft without needing to force a tight end onto their draft board in the early rounds, but should go into draft weekend with the plan to find an eventual successor for Goedert in the same way they did for Ertz and Celek before him. If Kenyon Sadiq is on the board for them at No. 23, there’s no long-term commitment at the position that should preclude them from making that pick. But if there isn’t a sensible fit in the early rounds, they’ve covered themselves enough with Goedert and Mundt to feel OK about the group going into training camp without significant draft investment.

Offensive tackle

On roster: Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata, Cameron Williams, Myles Hinton, Hollin Pierce, Josh Ojukwu

Free agents: Fred Johnson

Goedert’s return leaves the swing tackle spot behind Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata as arguably the biggest offensive need remaining for the Eagles in free agency or the draft. It’s a spot the Eagles went into training camp without clarity at last season, but Fred Johnson becoming available via trade just before the start of the regular season bailed them out of what would have otherwise been a precarious position.

Perhaps retaining Fred Johnson will be on the table once again. He’s still available in free agency, but the 28-year-old told PHLY at the end of the season that he felt he’d played well enough to find a starting opportunity elsewhere in the NFL and that his openness to rejoining the Eagles would hinge on whether Lane Johnson came back or not. A cool market could lead to cooler heads prevailing, otherwise the Eagles will likely need to sign someone with the hopes of drafting over them in a month’s time.

Interior offensive line

On roster: Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen, Drew Kendall, Jake Majors,

Departed: Brett Toth, Matt Pryor

As I reported after the scouting combine, there’s plenty of optimism about Drew Kendall’s development, but the departures of Brett Toth and Matt Pryor leave space for the Eagles to add some trustworthy depth behind two players whose health will be a major question next year.

Thinking of how banged up Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens were for most of last year, it’s a good time to revisit the outlook for Dickerson when the Eagles drafted him in 2022. The second-round pick didn’t have a clear path into the starting lineup when he was drafted, but played 15 games because of a season-ending injury to Brandon Brooks. The Eagles could find themselves in a similar situation this year because of Dickerson or either of the other two linemen penciled in as Week 1 starters at the moment.