The Philadelphia Eagles were the envy of the NFL during the 2024 season, dominating in the trenches on both sides of the football en route to capturing the second Super Bowl title in franchise history.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman called his hobby of collecting offensive and defensive lineman an “unhealthy obsession” that won’t end anytime soon. There’s rarely a sure bet when it comes to the NFL offseason, but you can bet on opposing GMs attempting to mimic Philly’s approach when 2025 free agency arrives in a couple weeks.
Two of Roseman’s prized pending free agents, defensive tackle Milton Williams and right guard Mekhi Becton, are both scheduled to hit the open market this March. The Eagles probably liked their chances of bringing both players back at this time last year, but coming off a Super Bowl title, Philly’s pair of breakout stars figure to draw a ton of interest.
The bigger flight risk of the two is Williams, who’s coming off a huge performance in Super Bowl LIX and is projected to land at least $12 million annually on his next contract. That number could actually be his floor, as a mega deal worth closer to $20 million per year is not out of the question for one of the league’s rising young interior pass rushers.
Kris Knox of Bleacher Report predicts Williams will say goodbye to Philadelphia in favor of the Chicago Bears, who have around $70 million in projected salary cap space to make a splash signing in free agency. Here was Knox’s take on the potential fit:
Williams finished the NFL championship game with four tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. As a pass-rusher, he graded second among 219 interior defenders in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus. While Chicago’s biggest needs reside along the offensive line—and it could be tempted by (Ronnie) Stanley, despite his age—Williams would provide immense value at 10th overall. He’s entering his playing prime and could be a long-term building block in the Bears’ defensive front. With a projected market value of $12 million annually, Williams will be a very realistic target for the Bears in free agency. Of course, there’s no guarantee that he’ll be interested in joining a rebuild after finding success on the NFL’s biggest stage.
The Bears are certainly a wild-card suitor. They haven’t been to the playoffs since the 2020 season, and haven’t won a playoff game since 2010. That could be quite the culture shock for Williams, who’s never missed the playoffs in his four-year career in Philadelphia and has now played in two Super Bowls.
With that said, there are new vibes in Chicago with former star Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson taking over as head coach. Williams benefited from Philly’s air-tight secondary and the stud talent around him, notably superstar DT Jalen Carter. Chicago has elite cover guys in place, led by lock-down cornerback Jaylon Johnson, and the presence of elite defensive end Montez Sweat and rising star Gervon Dexter on the interior could make Chicago an attractive destination.
The Bears have bigger needs. They’re probably more likely to add an EDGE rusher — like Josh Sweat, another star Eagles pending free agent — than they are to bulk up the interior. But the scoreboard doesn’t lie, and the chance for a cap-rich, lowly team like Chicago to poach from the reigning Super Bowl champions can’t be ruled out.
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