The reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles took a massive personnel hit in free agency. They lost a tremendous amount of veteran leadership.
Gone are Darius Slay, CJ Gardner-Johnson and Josh Sweat. The defense is young and impressionable and could use some grey fuzz on their faces.
Calais Campbell could be the greybeard the Eagles want to bring in. He is going to be 39 this season, but displayed his talents last year to the point where the Baltimore Ravens were willing to part with a fourth-round pick for him right before the trade deadline.
The Eagles could get Campbell – a legendary figure over the course of his long career – cheap. He played last season for $2 million. He wants to get to another Super Bowl before he retires and the Eagles give him the opportunity to do just that, the key veteran of the defense is now linebacker Zack Baun, who despite an unbelievable 2024 season has been an NFL starter for exactly one year. He signed a $51 million contract this offseason.
Philadelphia will challenge the Green Bay Packers to see who has the youngest squad. The Eagles lost so much experienced talent they have to look under every rock to find a solid veteran who can contribute and bring leadership to the locker room.
The projected compensatory picks will help in the 2026 NFL Draft, but does nothing for the Eagles now. They need experience and leadership. Their defensive squad is greener than their home uniforms. Campbell would be a perfect fit.