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They say one never knows what one has until it's gone. Those who have experienced an unexpected breakup can probably attest to that. Philadelphia Eagles fans can probably do the same. Free agency has a way of reminding us of that fact with one key loss after another.
Most expected to feel the pain of guys like Mekhi Becton, Josh Sweat, and Milton Williams signing elsewhere. Fred Johnson wasn't mentioned as much, but his loss was felt quickly. He agreed to sign a one-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars on March 19 of last year. The Eagles exercised a trade to bring him back on August 25, 2025.
Last season wasn't his best, but truth be told, most of the Eagles' offensive line didn't play up to the standard last season. There's already enough film on Johnson to prove how good he can be. Plus, sufficient backup swing tackles can, at times, be difficult to find in the NFL.
We'd think Philadelphia would be fine with bringing him back, right? Well, let's say they don't. Here are a few logical replacements if they pursue someone via free agency.
Jermaine Eluemunor was a solid player on what could, at times, be a disaster of a Giants offensive line. He's a solid pass protector. He can clean up his run blocking a tad, but he isn't someone who would be a consistent liability.
Jones played just 210 snaps in 2025 after suffering a knee injury in Week 4, but he was effective when healthy in prior action. As a starter in 2024, he earned an 80.8 PFF pass-blocking grade and a 70.2 PFF run-blocking grade. While the 26-year-old will need to improve his pressure-to-sack conversion rate, his track record could still warrant a starting opportunity.
Kevin Zeitler is one of those potential bargain signings, but not for the reason anyone wants to see. He missed all but six games (and four starts) thanks to a knee injury that knocked him out of action.
We wonder how many hours the Colts have spent asking themselves what might have been. Oh well... There's no point in stressing about most of that now. It's time to retool their roster.
They might be doing that, however, knowing that Braden Smith won't be with them. He has plenty of experience as a starter, 105 games in 107 in-game appearances. The Eagles, however, may not need a starter. They just might need a solid depth option.
He may not be the owner of a nationally known name, but he has a 79.0 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. He's one of those August roster cuts who found his way back onto the practice squad.
On October 3, he finally got his shot when he was signed to the active roster. He's a giant, a six-foot-eight, 380-pounder, who can be moved inside to guard if the offensive tackle experiment doesn't work.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: NFL Free Agency: 4 targets Eagles could sign to replace Fred Johnson
Continue reading...
Most expected to feel the pain of guys like Mekhi Becton, Josh Sweat, and Milton Williams signing elsewhere. Fred Johnson wasn't mentioned as much, but his loss was felt quickly. He agreed to sign a one-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars on March 19 of last year. The Eagles exercised a trade to bring him back on August 25, 2025.
Last season wasn't his best, but truth be told, most of the Eagles' offensive line didn't play up to the standard last season. There's already enough film on Johnson to prove how good he can be. Plus, sufficient backup swing tackles can, at times, be difficult to find in the NFL.
We'd think Philadelphia would be fine with bringing him back, right? Well, let's say they don't. Here are a few logical replacements if they pursue someone via free agency.
Jermaine Eluemunor, New York Giants
Jermaine Eluemunor was a solid player on what could, at times, be a disaster of a Giants offensive line. He's a solid pass protector. He can clean up his run blocking a tad, but he isn't someone who would be a consistent liability.
Jones played just 210 snaps in 2025 after suffering a knee injury in Week 4, but he was effective when healthy in prior action. As a starter in 2024, he earned an 80.8 PFF pass-blocking grade and a 70.2 PFF run-blocking grade. While the 26-year-old will need to improve his pressure-to-sack conversion rate, his track record could still warrant a starting opportunity.
Braxton Jones, Chicago Bears
Kevin Zeitler is one of those potential bargain signings, but not for the reason anyone wants to see. He missed all but six games (and four starts) thanks to a knee injury that knocked him out of action.
Braden Smith, Indianapolis Colts
We wonder how many hours the Colts have spent asking themselves what might have been. Oh well... There's no point in stressing about most of that now. It's time to retool their roster.
They might be doing that, however, knowing that Braden Smith won't be with them. He has plenty of experience as a starter, 105 games in 107 in-game appearances. The Eagles, however, may not need a starter. They just might need a solid depth option.
Trent Brown, Houston Texans
He may not be the owner of a nationally known name, but he has a 79.0 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. He's one of those August roster cuts who found his way back onto the practice squad.
On October 3, he finally got his shot when he was signed to the active roster. He's a giant, a six-foot-eight, 380-pounder, who can be moved inside to guard if the offensive tackle experiment doesn't work.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: NFL Free Agency: 4 targets Eagles could sign to replace Fred Johnson
Continue reading...
