The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the best — if not the best — general managers in business. Howie Roseman has been a master at moving around the salary cap to ensure there's always enough money to spread around and keep the team competitive.
Nevertheless, he can't do that on his own this offseason. As with other teams, it usually takes players to give a helping hand as GMs try to make enough space for everyone on the roster. That might be the case in Philadelphia if they want to keep tight end Dallas Goedert, who will hit free agency in March.
And now that the season is officially over, it's time for Roseman & Co. to figure out how to bring Goedert back, which could hinge on whether A.J. Brown is willing to play ball or not.
Dallas Goedert Can't Return to Eagles Without Help From AJ Brown
Goedert is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. He had 60 catches on 82 targets for 591 yards and 11 touchdowns, and that's despite sharing the field with the likes of DeVonta Smith and the aforementioned Brown. As such, he should have a strong free agent market, even at age 31.
He's a fan favorite who has spent his entire career in Philadelphia, and the Eagles will have to pay him handsomely to come back. With that in mind, Spotrac is listing his project annual value at $6 million, while OverTheCap is listing his 2025 valuations at just over $11.6 million. Both ends of the spectrum are pricy for a Philly team that only has $22 million in cap space remaining, which is why Roseman might have to turn to Brown for help.
Brown got a massive three-year contract extension worth $96 million with $84 million guaranteed. Unfortunately, he hasn't always lived up to that deal, and while he's clearly not the only one to blame for that, he may not be happy with his situation on the team.
That's where Roseman and team owner Jeffrey Lurie need to be careful. They must convince Brown to help them out, even if it's by promising that they will eventually find him a trade partner. If he doesn't want to be there anymore, the Eagles should grant him his wish before he becomes more of a distraction, so they could use a potential trade as leverage for this quid pro quo.
The Eagles would eat $43.5 million in dead money if they trade Brown before June 1. Restructuring his contract would help lower that penalty, potentially making him more attractive to any suitors in the process.
Goedert isn't a superstar by any means, but he's proven to be a force in the red zone. He's got reliable hands and recorded more touchdown catches this season than in the previous three years combined (eight), so he's clearly not showing any signs of slowing down.
Brown can be a little difficult at times, as we've seen since he arrived in the City of Brotherly Love. But once the heat and the anger of the loss pass in the next couple of weeks, the Eagles will have to have a long talk with him and convince him of doing the reasonable thing.
If he wants to keep Goedert as a teammate, Brown will have to make a sacrifice. If not, there's a good chance that at least one or both of the duo won't be with the Eagles next season.