The Philadelphia Eagles are in desperate need of pass-rushing help. Earlier in the offseason, the team lost Josh Sweat to the Arizona Cardinals in free agency and Brandon Graham.
Though they were able to sign Azeez Ojulari to bolster the unit, Philadelphia will need to add another pass rusher to the roster after trading Bryce Huff to the San Francisco 49ers.
General manager Howie Roseman will likely have to search the free agency market to address the pressing need. Eagles Wire’s Glenn Erby believes the Eagles should try to sign former Detroit Lions and current free agent edge rusher Za’Darius Smith.
Smith was released by the Detroit Lions before the start of free agency and has yet to sign with a team. The 32-year-old was productive in 2024, posting nine sacks and 63 quarterback pressures in 17 games. He provided a nice boost to the Lions’ pass rush after being traded to Detroit from the Cleveland Browns at the deadline.
Though he is getting older, Smith proved last year that he still has some juice and could be a solid complementary pass rusher for a contender. If he doesn’t re-sign with the Lions, Philadelphia would be a logical landing spot for the veteran defender. Smith would compete with Ojulari for the starting spot at edge rusher opposite Nolan Smith Jr., and his leadership and experience would also be incredibly valuable to Nick Sirianni’s squad.
The Eagles have around $20 million in cap space, which should be plenty of money to sign Smith and also have the flexibility to make other roster moves. The team should also gain some cap space when the Huff trade is finalized.
A stout pass rush is one of the main reasons why Philadelphia hoisted the Lombardi Trophy last season. They should look to replicate that formula in 2025, and signing Smith to serve as a potential starter or vital rotational piece would be a fantastic move by Roseman.
