The Eagles’ leader on offense is going to be new head coach Nick Sirianni. Their leader on defense is going to new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon.
Both will be coming from the Indianapolis Colts, which means chances are there are going to be some of their players following them to Philadelphia as well.
Even in a difficult salary cap situation, chances are the Eagles will still be signing some free agents. When they do, here are eight Colts free agents that could interest Sirianni, Gannon and the Eagles:
TY Hilton, WR: Before you say it to yourself or tweet me, yes, I know Hilton is going to be expensive to sign. And yes, I know the Eagles have cap problems.
But I also know that Howie Roseman is great at finding cap space, and if they do, Hilton is a player that makes a ton of sense for them to target.
Hilton, 5-foot-10, can be the deep threat the Eagles have lacked — and continue to look for — for years. He is averaging 15.4 yards-per-reception over his nine-year career, and has averaged over 16 yards-per-reception five times. Hilton had a solid, but not speculator, year last season with the Colts, pulling in 56 catches for 762 yards and five touchdowns.
Still, he would step on the Eagles and not only instantly be their best receiver, but with experience in Sirianni’s offense, would be able to hit the ground running.
Trey Burton, TE: The Eagles’ tight end situation right now is a complicated one. They have to decide what to do with Zach Ertz. They have Dallas Goedert. Florida tight end Kyle Pitts might be the best player available at No. 6. So things could look very different by the time free agency starts.
That being said, Burton makes a ton of sense if he can be signed to a low-level, veteran deal.
Burton is a perfect fit on the Eagles as a backup tight-end/locker room guy, who can come in with the experience of having been coached by Sirianni and knowing what to expect. The reality is that lots of players in the locker room were fans of Doug Pederson. Lots of them wanted Duce Staley once Pederson was fired. Lots of them won’t know who Sirianni is.
Burton would not only be a good fit on the field, but having him in the locker room to lean on would be very valuable for Sirianni.
Anthony Walker, ILB: Although he coached the secondary in Indianapolis, chances are that he will be bringing some version of the Colts’ defensive scheme to the Eagles. If he does, having a linebacker that already knows it would be extremely valuable. Walker checks off not only that box for the Eagles, but could also help them solve the linebacker issues they have had the last few seasons. Walker, only 25-years old, played 67% of the snaps last season and has played at least 66% of the snaps since the start of the 2018 season. He totaled 343 tables during his four seasons with the Colts, including 19 tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks. Walker likely will not get a big-money deal in free agency, which will certainly bump him up higher on the Eagles’ list.
Xavier Rhodes, CB: The addition of Gannon as their defensive coordinator will almost certainly lead to the Eagles targeting some of his former defensive players as well. Rhodes very well could be at the top of that list on the defensive side of the ball. Rhodes has been with Gannon in both Indianapolis and Minnesota, and turned in a strong season with the Colts, picking off two passes, deflecting 12 more and allowing only 52% of the passes thrown his way to be completed. The Eagles have a big need opposite Darius Slay in the secondary. Rhodes will check that need off in a big way — if they can afford him.
Malik Hooker, S: Hooker is coming off of a season-ending Achillies injury, which will certainly impact his value, and could put him within the Eagles’ price range for a starting safety, if they do indeed decide to move on from either Jalen Mills or Rodney McLeod. Hooker, 24, has seven interceptions in 36 career games to go along with 81 tackles and 11 pass deflections. Like Rhodes, Hooker could be a valuable leadership voice for Gannon.
Marlon Mack, RB: Mack, like Hooker, is coming off of a season that ended with a torn ACL in Week 1. Prior to suffering the injury, however, Mack was coming off of back-to-back seasons with over 1,000 total yards and 18 combined touchdowns. Miles Sanders will continue to be the team’s lead back, but they could use an upgrade over Boston Scott, and the combination of Sanders and Mack would give the Eagles a legit duo out of the backfield.
Taylor Stallworth, DT: The Eagles will be looking for some depth at defensive tackle this offseason, considering they will be moving on from Malik Jackson. Stallworth is far from a proven player, but he did get 253 snaps last season with the Colts, proving to be a nice rotational piece for their defensive line. Stallworth could be a nice low-cost, high-upside signing for the Eagles.
Tavon Wilson, S: If the Eagles can’t fit Hooker or Rhodes into the salary cap, Wilson could be the player they target. Wilson played 21% of the snaps with the Colts last season in 15 games, but has plenty of experience getting meaningful snaps, as he played 840 snaps in 2019.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!