11 pending free agents who have ties to Eagles' new coaching staff

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The Eagles’ coaching staff is coming together and now that we know some of the top assistants on this staff, let’s take a look ahead to free agency.

No, the Eagles aren’t expected to be major players in free agency because of their cap situation, but they might add some players.

And it would make sense if they added some players with familiarity to their offensive and defensive schemes. So I looked through the pending free agents who played for Nick Sirianni or DC Jonathan Gannon in Indy and some who played under OC Shane Steichen with the Chargers in LA.

Here’s what I came up with:

Xavier Rhodes, CB, Colts

No, it probably wouldn’t be wise for the Eagles to add a 30-year-old corner to play across from another 30-year-old corner in Darius Slay. But the Eagles do need to upgrade their CB2 spot. And Gannon was credited for bringing Rhodes in to Indy on a one-year deal in 2020 and got him back playing at a really high level as the DBs coach. Not sure what kind of contract Rhodes will get but the Eagles will probably be priced out unless he takes a discount to play under Gannon again.

T.J. Carrie, CB, Colts

Yeah, Carrie is another 30-year-old corner but he won’t be as expensive as Rhodes. He ended up playing a pretty big role for the Colts late in the season and finished ranked as ProFootballFocus’s 38th best cornerback. It was one of the best seasons of his seven-year career. Carrie allowed just 24 catches on 42 targets (57.1%) and gave up just 347 yards and 2 touchdowns; he also had 2 picks.

Trey Burton, TE, Colts

Would a reunion between the Eagles and Burton make sense? He’s set to become a free agent and Burton didn’t have a major role on the Colts’ offense in 2020 behind Jack Doyle and Mo Alie-Cox. Burton is 29 now but the Eagles will likely trade Zach Ertz this offseason and could use a backup/role player behind Dallas Goedert.

Zach Pascal, WR, Colts

The rest of these guys are unrestricted free agents but Pascal is restricted, which means the Colts won’t lose him if they don’t want. But even the original-round tender comes with a price tag of nearly $2.25 million in 2021. The Colts should tender him but the level will be important and could give another team a chance to steal him. If they put a second-round tender on him, he’ll be back in Indy. The 26-year-old has put back-to-back impressive seasons together. 2019: 41/607/5. 2020: 44/629/5.

Marlon Mack, RB, Colts

The 2017 4th-round pick is coming off an Achilles tear, so he’ll probably need to sign a one-year prove-it deal, which will be cheap. And the Colts don’t really need him as long as they have Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines. So this could be a bargain-bin upgrade at RB2. Mack had a 1,000-yard season in 2019.

Malik Hooker, S, Colts

Another guy coming off an Achilles injury, Hooker could be looking for a one-year deal. And he might be willing to take that in Philly under Gannon. Hooker is a former 1st-round pick who has played in 36 games with 35 starts. He had seven picks in his first three seasons. He was injured in September, so he will have a good chance to be ready for the season. He’s still just 24.

Anthony Walker, LB, Colts

The four-year linebacker began to lose snaps late in the 2020 season as the Colts played more athletic linebackers in their sub packages. But Walker is still just 25 and has been a tackling machine, totaling 321 in the last three seasons.

Dan Feeney, OL, Chargers

Feeney is a versatile offensive lineman who has played and started every game for the Chargers in the last three years. My guess is that he ends up back in Los Angeles, but there’s a new staff there too. If he hits the market, maybe the Eagles will show some interest, especially if Jason Kelce doesn’t return. Feeney can play guard and center.

Forrest Lamp, OG, Chargers

Lamp hasn’t been as durable as Feeney but he finally put together a full season in 2020, starting all 16 games. The 26-year-old had just two starts under his belt before the 2020 season. Lamp is a pure guard.

Kalen Ballage, RB, Chargers

Ballage (6-2, 231) was a fourth-rounder back in 2018 but lasted just two years in Miami. After a brief stint with the Jets in 2020, he landed with the Chargers and played in eight games. He had 88 carries for 290 yards (3.3) with 3 touchdowns and also caught 20 passes for 99 yards. A cheap option if the Eagles want to add competition to the running backs room.

Sam Tevi, OT, Chargers

Tevi is one of three Chargers starting offensive linemen who are about to become free agents this offseason. Do all three end up back in LA? It’s possible. But Tevi is a guy worth keeping an eye on.

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