Figuring out likelihood Eagles' free agents return in 2022

NFL free agency will technically begin when the new league year starts on March 16, but the negotiating window will open on March 14.

Until noon on March 14, the Eagles have exclusive negotiating rights with all their pending free agents and can get deals completed before they hit the open market.

With that in mind, here’s a look at each pending unrestricted free agent and the likelihood they’ll be back in 2022:

Rodney McLeod

Roob: McLeod finished strong last year and has been a loyal and productive Eagle since he got here in 2016. And I still think if the Eagles can’t get the safeties they want they’d be OK with another year of McLeod. He’s fine. But he’ll be 32 this summer, he can’t run like he used to and if they can get younger and faster they will. 55%

Dave: At first glance, it would make sense for the Eagles to move on from McLeod, who will be 32 when the 2022 season starts. But he played much better down the stretch in 2021 and showed he had something left to give as he got further away from that ACL tear. This isn’t a definite but the as long as he doesn’t break the bank, it would be worth bringing him back for one more year. 72%

Derek Barnett

Roob: It’s not a big chance but there is a chance if the market just isn’t there for Barnett in free agency and the Eagles can get Barnett on a fairly inexpensive one-year deal that they could bring him back. I don’t think it’s a very good chance, but he at least knows the defense and can generate some pressure here and there.15%

Dave: The Eagles seem to be ready to move on from Barnett after five disappointing seasons. While Barnett isn't a bad player, he didn't live up to his draft status and became a frustrating player in his time in Philadelphia. Despite all that, he is still young and has untapped talent so some team will offer him a chunk of change. Can't imagine it'll be the Eagles. 10%

Anthony Harris

Roob: The Eagles know they have to remake their secondary, and I just don’t see how Harris possibly fits into that plan. Now, if they do move on from McLeod and want a little continuity at safety I guess there’s a slight chance they could bring Harris back on another cheap-o one-year deal. But they know they have to get better, so very unlikely. 6%

Dave: Harris was OK in 2021 but if the Eagles have to pick between him and McLeod, they should pick McLeod. The Eagles got Harris on a one-year, $4 million deal in 2021 but it wasn’t the steal they thought it would be. They will have a chance to upgrade the position this offseason and they should take it instead of running it back with Harris. 20%

Steven Nelson

Roob: Steve Nelson is likely gone for the opposite reason of Harris. He did play well this past season and at 29 is young enough that he should be in line for a decent payday in free agency. With Darius Slay under contract and the Eagles likely to draft a corner, they won’t have the money or the need to get into a bidding war for Nelson. 12%

Dave: Nelson didn’t become a free agent until later last offseason so he had to settle with the one-year deal the Eagles gave him. And he was a very solid CB2, a very important position for the Birds, in 2021. If for some reason, Nelson can’t find the lucrative deal he’s hoping for this offseason, then the Eagles should be ready as his safety net. 22%

Ryan Kerrigan

Roob: The only reason I didn’t go with 0 percent for Ryan Kerrigan is because I’ve been around long enough to know that nothing is 0 percent. 0.000001%

Dave: He ended up having a decent playoff game but most of the season was a major disappointment for Kerrigan. It just didn’t work here and he looked like he didn’t have much left in the tank for most of the season. 0%

Hassan Ridgeway

Roob: Ridgeway works for the Eagles because he’s cheap, he’s a functional veteran, he has no illusions of becoming a starter and he plays a position where the Eagles are set for now with Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave. I still think they’ll try to upgrade the interior of the d-line, but it’s not a huge priority and you can’t draft everything. So probably not. But maybe. 20%

Dave: After a hot start, Ridgeway faded into the background in 2021, finishing with 2 sacks and 20 tackles. But at least after several years of injuries, he was able to stay healthy. Maybe the Eagles offer him another veteran salary benefit deal but they should also look to improve their depth at DT. 20%

Genard Avery

Roob: Generd Avery is a strange one. He’s been here 2 ½ years and I still haven’t figured out exactly what he is. But he does have some coverage and pass rush pressure, and that SAM linebacker skill set in Jonathan Gannon’s defense is not an easy one to find. Plus Howie Roseman traded a 4 for him and that might earn him another year. 30%

Dave: The Eagles need to get better at the SAM position but Avery wasn’t bad in his limited role in 2021. And unless they sign someone else, they might not have a better option in 2022. Also, Avery should be relatively cheap in 2022 and he could end up being a decent player in that SAM role in his season year. Also, I had him staying in Stay or Go, so I really backed myself into a corner here. 51%

Jordan Howard

Roob: As much as I like Jordan Howard and appreciate what he’s done in both his stints here, I just feel like there isn’t a spot for him here. The biggest chance he comes back is if the Eagles risk not tendering Boston Scott to try to save some cap space and lose him as a restricted free agent. Then Howard could come back as No. 3 behind Miles Sanders and Kenny Gainwell. 15%

Dave: The was a time when Howard really carried the Eagles last year and he’s still just 27 years old. The problem is that after that hot stretch, he got hurt and was basically an afterthought later in the season. The Eagles will bring back Miles Sanders, Kenny Gainwell and possibly Boston Scott in 2022. If they draft another back (or if they sign one) then there’s no room for Howard. 20%

Jason Croom

Roob: Why not 0 percent for Jason Croom? Because considering the Eagles’ tight end situation – Dallas Goedert is the only real known quantity – I figure somebody who caught 22 passes one year for the Bills and caught a touchdown pass in 2020 for the Eagles has at least some mathematical chance to stay. 3%

Dave: The veteran tight end missed the entire 2021 season after tearing his ACL. The Eagles will bring back Dallas Goedert and Jack Stoll next season but Tyree Jackson will miss some time with a torn ACL of his own. It would be a good idea for the Eagles to use a mid-round pick to draft a tight end but I’ll leave a very slight chance for Croom. 0%