The Philadelphia Eagles are busy preparing for a Divisional Round matchup with the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. However, it's never too soon to start thinking about pending free agents and the offseason.
All-Pro LB Zach Baun burst onto the scene in 2024 and is the most high-profile pending free agent, but one underrated player suggested he could wind up being even more sought after.
2021 third-round DT Milton Williams just finished his rookie deal and has enjoyed the best season of his career. In the latest episode of the "unCovering the Birds" podcast with Jeff McLane on Audacy, Williams revealed that he's been hearing he'll have a fierce market for his services.
Eagles DT Milton Williams Hearing He'll Be Major Free Agent Target
It makes sense that Williams would be a highly-coveted free agent. He's only 25 years old and just notched five sacks and 10 quarterback hits, playing in all 17 games.
He ranked 31st out of 219 qualified interior defensive linemen at Pro Football Focus and seems deserving of a larger role, having played only 48% of the defensive snaps. Philadelphia led the NFL in opponent yards per play (4.8) during the regular season, a dramatic turnaround from the collapse in late 2023 and Williams played a large role in that improvement.
Baun is still one of the unit's most important players and is likely a higher priority for general manager Howie Roseman and his staff. He was a First-Team All-Pro with an incredible 151 tackles, becoming one of the league's best linebackers during his first year with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and the team.
Regardless, both players are important to re-sign. Williams may have a larger market, though he could just be trying to drive his own price up. Should he perform at a high level during the rest of the postseason, his leverage will only grow stronger.
Eagles fans should want him to play as well as possible though for the organization's future outlook, it may be best if Williams doesn't force Roseman to break the bank for a contract extension.
