Philadelphia Eagles star wide receiver A.J. Brown isn’t shy about sharing his dream roster additions, and this offseason is no exception. Brown wasted no time naming his ideal addition when asked about a hypothetical scenario where money was no object.
Philadelphia Eagles WR A.J. Brown Shares Dream Acquisition
In a dream world, akin to playing with the salary cap off in EA Sports Madden NFL, teams would have unlimited money to spend on roster-building.
“Honestly, that’s what it be feelin’ like over here,” Brown laughed during the “Word On The Birds” podcast.
Who would Brown add if he were in general manager Howie Roseman’s shoes and the cap didn’t exist? After a millisecond to ponder, Brown uttered the name of a player that nearly any team would benefit from having on their roster.
“Adding him with Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith [Jr.]. I don’t know what’s gonna happen with Josh Sweat or Milton [Williams].”
A.J. Brown says Myles Garrett is his dream #Eagles offseason acquisition. 👀 pic.twitter.com/wqQ8fxsj2U
— Word On The Birds (@WordOnTheBirds) February 20, 2025
Sweat, who led the team in sacks with 8.0 in 2024, tops the Eagles’ 2025 free agents list. The 27-year-old, selected in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, has amassed 43 sacks, 237 tackles (54 for loss), 97 quarterback hits, seven forced fumbles and a pick-six in 104 games (64 starts).
NFL Salary Cap Expected To Skyrocket for 2025 Season
While the exact figure has not been established, on Wednesday, Feb. 19, the NFL provided clubs with a projected salary cap range of $277.5 million to $281.5 million per club for the 2025 season.
The estimated range exceeds what franchises had been expecting. Most recently in December, teams were budgeting for a salary cap of $265 million to $275 million.
At a minimum, it’s a $22.1 million increase from the $255.4 million salary cap in 2024. At its largest, it’s a $26.1 million boost.
The estimation means the salary cap will have increased by at least $100 million since 2018’s $177 million and more than $53 million in the last two years. No matter where it lands, it’s a sizeable bump from last season’s record-setting cap of $255.4 million.
The NFL today informed teams that the 2025 per-team salary cap will fall in the range of $277.5 million to $281.5 million, way up from last year's $255.4 million. Cap will have increased by more than $53 million over the last two years.
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) February 19, 2025
The league and NFLPA are expected to conclude their negotiations next week ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine, which starts on Feb. 27 in Indianapolis. It is very convenient timing as the NFL Combine is where agents often arrange meetings with general managers and impending free agents. The new league year, which kicks off with the NFL’s free agency period, begins on March 12.
Where Do the Eagles Land in Salary Cap Space Among NFL Teams?
Last offseason, Philadelphia made a substantial free-agent splash with Saquon Barkley, who changed their offensive identity and re-established the franchise as one of the top contenders in the NFL. They will have their work cut out for them this offseason, as they are in the bottom half of the league in cap space and look to reconfigure their roster to make another Super Bowl run.
Unlike last season, the Eagles may be hard-pressed to make a big splash in free agency, as they rank No. 21 in the NFL in salary cap space with $19.55 million. However, Roseman has repeatedly proven that he has some tricks up his sleeve, and it would not be surprising if he works his magic to allow the Eagles to make a surprise move.
With less than $20 million in cap space, the Eagles will likely explore cutting or restructuring a few players to free up additional cap space. While these may not be popular moves, the team must get creative to create more cap space.