The Philadelphia Eagles have locked up a number of their own players ahead of free agency and now they look towards the market for players and names like Jairus Byrd, LaMarr Woodley, Alterraun Verner, Vontae Davis, DeMarcus Ware, T.J. Ward and Brandon Spikes would be targets for Chip Kelly in 2014.
The Eagles signed back Riley Cooper as well as Jason Peters and Jeremy Maclin on a one year deal and as all that went down, the team made another move and cut Jason Avant. The new contracts and the move to release Avant will free up more cap space and that gives the team some room to work with this offseason as they look to improve in a number of areas, including at cornerback and that makes Verner and Davis possible options.
The Eagles have a number of moves to make and some options could be coming later, as Woodley could be cut by the Steelers and that would be an interesting option for the Eagles. According to ESPN.com, if Woodley is let go he will be a target, as he likely will come cheaper than some of the other pass rushers on the market and that is an area where the Eagles could improve. Some have speculated that if Dion Jordan is getting shopped, the Eagles could be a destination for him as well after playing for Kelly in college at Oregon.
Some have made the same connections with Byrd and Ward, as they are both at the solid age of 27 and each played at Oregon as well and the connection could be good for Kelly and the Eagles. The team needs an upgrade in the secondary and those two players would be good options if they hit the market. According to ESPN.com, Byrd said that he is still open to signing with the team and the Bills did not use the franchise tag as many expected. Byrd and Ward are two of the best safety options in the league, while Verner could be a nice cornerback signing.
Avant has been with the team for a number of years and has been a solid contributor, but with Maclin and Cooper coming back and other players left to sign, there was just no room for Avant anymore. Last season he had 38 catches for 447 yards and two touchdowns, but was overshadowed by Cooper and DeSean Jackson and this comes after Cooper was signed to a $25 million deal over five years, while Maclin came back on a one year deal. Avant was a leader and that will be hard to replace and now the Eagles will use sets with Maclin, Cooper and DeSean Jackson and that makes them a very dangerous team on offense.