Grotz: Kelce Boys mysteries aside, plenty of offseason intrigue for Eagles

With Eagles center Jason Kelce weighing retirement (the buzz lately is that he and his brother Travis of the Kansas City Chiefs and Team Taylor could make a joint retirement announcement after the Super Bowl), it’s not too early to consider the status of other veterans who once owned the locker room, such as …

BRANDON GRAHAM >> Though the soon-to-be 36-year-old defensive end is an unrestricted free agent, during cleanout day at the NovaCare Complex he sounded a lot like he would be given the opportunity to become the first Eagles player to suit up for a 15th season. Money won’t be an obstacle. The minimum in 2024 for a veteran with 10 or more years of service is $1.2 million. Let’s consider Graham back along with his tireless work ethic and positive attitude.

FLETCHER COX >> The unrestricted defensive tackle is 33, and on “breakup day” completely cleaned out his locker, a telling sign he won’t be back. Though there are rumblings he could retire, Cox seemed conducive to participating in one last roundup with Jim Schwartz, his favorite defensive coordinator who now runs the defense of the Cleveland Browns.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Cox took a portion of the season off before choosing his next team a la defensive tackles Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh with the Eagles during the 2022 Super Bowl run. It’s a long season. If Cox came back to the Eagles at or near midseason it wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened.

JAMES BRADBERRY and DARIUS SLAY >> At 30, the veteran cornerback Bradberry is coming off a disappointing season, and especially struggled down the home stretch.

The Eagles would be on the hook for $16 million and change against the 2024 salary cap if they traded Bradberry, and $17 million if they ditched him, although a chunk of that could be pushed down the road in a post June 6 move.

Then there’s the 33-year-old one-time “Big Play” Slay, who is coming off arthroscopic knee surgery which cost him four of the last five games. Slay isn’t going anywhere as his dead money hit is more than $33 million this season if he’s traded, and more than that if he’s released. So it’s likely he’ll have to be back, but if Slay is healthy, you could do a lot worse than him as one of your starting corners.,

As for Bradberry, quietly there is talk of moving him to safety in the scheme of new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, which last year favored hybrid corners/safeties. Bradberry already has demonstrated his versatility of switching between cornerback and nickel back. What’s more, the Eagles have hired safeties coach Joe Kasper of the Dolphins, according to reports, and he was credited for turning Jevon Holland and Deshon Elliott into safeties/nickels. Holland played cornerback, safety and nickel. The same with Elliott, who would be a solid one-year signing when he becomes a free agent March 13.

Bradberry (6-1, 210) can’t run like he used to. The lack of speed along with the late season changes to the defensive scheme owing to the shift from coordinator Sean Desai to Matt Patricia, changes that left several guys on the back end of the defense out of position, impacted Bradberry’s tackling, as it did with others. But a change to safety would be worth the trouble in the case of Bradberry, who didn’t complain when he played snaps at the nickel last season.

As for other offseason intrigue, make no mistake, the Eagles have a lot of work to do on the defensive side of the ball, particularly in the secondary.

Rookie Sydney Brown showed playmaking promise at safety before tearing an ACL in the regular season finale. Counting on him for the first month or two of next season is a reach. Fellow safety Reed Blankenship ran out of gas in January. Rookies Eli Ricks and Kelee Ringo flashed potential, just not enough to keep the Eagles from scouting for help.

The Eagles picked up cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, a once-promising 2020 sixth-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts who was suspended all of last season for betting on NFL games the previous season. But it’s much too risky to count on him. The Birds have the 22nd overall pick in a draft that has no elite shutdown corners. Cooper DeJean of Iowa may be the best of the group with more than enough speed to play outside and the fluidity to move inside to nickel. But he was done for the season after a lower leg injury in November, and it could be a while before he’s all the way back.

Terrion Arnold of Alabama and Nate Wiggins of Clemson are pure cover corners with upside, and Quinyon Mitchell of Toledo is promising and, on some draft boards, has a first round grade.

Top free agent cornerbacks Adoree Jackson (28 years old), Kendall Fuller (29) and Stephon Gilmore (33) are old enough to become overnight liabilities if given big contracts.

The Eagles might be able to trade for a corner. Patrick Surtain Jr. was available at the trade deadline. It’s rumored the Denver Broncos might use him to move up to draft a quarterback, and that means head coach Sean Payton would consider offers. If Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown wants out, guess what?

The Eagles should also inquire about Jaycee Horn, as the Carolina Panthers are rebuilding.

The Eagles have a lot of work to do. With the right moves, particularly at cornerback, the defense could improve overnight.

Let it begin with bumping Bradberry back to safety.

Contact Bob Grotz at rgrotz@delcotimes.com.