5 targets for Eagles in 2022 NFL free agency

Rodney McLeod could return to the Eagles secondary to more provide leadership

The Eagles are not losing a ton of players in free agency this offseason. One player that it would serve them to potentially retain is veteran safety Rodney McLeod. The former undrafted defensive back out of Virginia has been with the Eagles since the first days of the Doug Pederson era. McLeod has not only survived a regime change, but he can be a valuable piece into his mid-30s.

While Sirianni runs the offense, the Eagles’ defense is Jonathan Gannon’s side of the ball. He was a finalist for the Houston Texans head-coaching job that ultimately went to Lovie Smith internally. Though Gannon is probably a year or two away from being a head coach in his own right anyway, it would make sense for the Eagles to bring back a veteran presence and a great leader like McLeod.

No, this is not the sexy free-agent acquisition fanbases of contending teams like the Eagles are hoping for. However, this is about building on what was good a year ago. Every team has to start at the bottom of the mountain and scale up annually. McLeod may not be the player he once was, but the Eagles do need to keep things tight and bringing back a veteran leader could do wonders.

Being able to bring back important pieces internally is one of the best parts of any free agency.