The Philadelphia Eagles are going through a surprisingly difficult free agency. GM Howie Roseman wasn't able to retain multiple starters, including Milton Williams and Josh Sweat. With Darius Slay getting cut and Isaiah Rodgers signing with the Vikings, the Eagles defense began to look like a shell of itself.
Then came the real big surprise. The Eagles made the unexpected move of trading CJ Gardner-Johnson to the Texans in exchange for offensive lineman Kenyon Green and a pick swap.
Eagles fans were desperately trying to understand what Roseman was thinking with this slew of moves. What the Eagles GM has in mind to fill the voids created by these departures is still unknown.
NFL insider James Palmer revealed Philadelphia's interest in a key free agent that could shed some light on Roseman's plans. The Eagles were reportedly "very interested" in Chiefs safety Justin Reid and the decision went "down to the wire" before the veteran defender signed with the New Orleans Saints.
Reid had several teams that were very interested. Most notably it went down to the wire with the #Titans, #Eagles and #Saints with New Orleans winning out per source. https://t.co/MwEaeGpoZo
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) March 12, 2025
NFL News: Justin Reid Turned Down the Eagles in Free Agency
Philadelphia's interest in Reid is certainly understandable. After parting ways with Gardner-Johnson, replacing him with a high-end safety with a Super Bowl pedigree made a ton of sense. The fact that Reid accepted a three-year, $31.5 million deal with the Saints, however, suggests that the Eagles weren't willing to offer him as much.
One would assume that if the Eagles had an offer in the ballpark, the opportunity to continue to contend for Super Bowls as part of an elite defense would have been more appealing for Reid.
The Eagles currently have Reed Blankenship, Tristin McCollum, and Lewis Cine in the safety rotation. They will obviously add more there, but whether they will do so through free agency or the draft remains to be seen.