The Philadelphia Eagles are about to enter a fascinating free agency period after the Super Bowl.
GM Howie Roseman has a pair of impact starters on defense he can ill afford to lose in EDGE Josh Sweat and linebacker Zack Baun. Both players have grossly outperformed their respective modest, one-year contracts in 2024 and will be looking to cash in, should they hit the open market.
When it comes to Philly’s top pending free agents, Sweat is widely considered priority 1A — due to the team’s projected positional need in 2025 — with Baun 1B. A name most in the national media is glossing over, however, is: What are the Eagles going to do about starting defensive tackle and former third-round pick Milton Williams?
Williams is currently playing out the final year of his rookie contract, meaning he’s due for a new multi-year deal. While the top of his market would be the Alim McNeil extension with the Detroit Lions — four years, $97 million — Spotrac pegs Williams’ value closer to veteran David Onyemata, who signed a three-year, $35 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons in 2023.
The later deal would make a ton of financial sense for Roseman and an Eagles team that’s tight on 2025 cap space, but Jordan Dajani of CBS Sports predicts Williams will leave the team that drafted him in free agency in favor of the Miami Dolphins.
Here was Dajani’s take on the potential move to South Beach:
The Dolphins have several pending free agents on the defensive line such as Calais Campbell and Benito Jones. Upgrading on the defensive interior is something Anthony Weaver will fight for, and Miami could swing for the former Eagle that recorded a career-high five sacks and 10 QB hits in 2024.
Williams is a 25-year-old rising star as an interior pass rusher with 50 total pressures and six sacks entering Super Bowl LIX. He’s played in all 20 games this season as a key cog in Vic Fangio’s defense, forming a dominant front along with Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter.
Williams is definitely a player the Eagles don’t want to lose. Roseman has some depth at defensive tackle in Moro Ojomo, but whether he’s ready to hand the keys to the 2023 seventh-round pick next season is questionable at best.
Roseman has a history of drafting, developing and building through the trenches. While Baun, Sweat and even right guard Mekhi Becton are valuable pending free agents in their own right, it would be a surprise if the Eagles let Williams walk, especially at the team-friendly number that Spotrac is projecting.
With that said, the Eagles made their bed by not signing Williams to an extension sooner, and he could now be flight risk should he hit the open market.
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