As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers near the end of their offseason program and the 2025 season draws ever closer, we're taking a look at each team the Buccaneers are going to face along the way. From how those teams fared last year, to what they've done with the roster since, to some as-yet-unanswered questions – we want to get a better feel for what the Bucs will be up against this fall. Today's focus is on the NFL's defending champion, the Philadelphia Eagles, who appear to have another loaded roster heading into 2025.

2024 Results

The 2023 Philadelphia Eagles team won 10 of their first 11 games before slumping badly down the stretch and bowing out meekly to the Buccaneers in the Wild Card round, 32-9. The 2024 Eagles flipped that script, getting increasingly stronger down the stretch before turning into a playoff juggernaut. Philadelphia won 16 of its last 17 games, playoffs included, and capped it all with a dominant 40-22 win in Super Bowl LIX over the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.

The Eagles had their bye early in 2024, and when they hit it in Week Five they were just 2-2 and not obviously lifted out of their 2023 late-season malaise. Running back Saquon Barkley had a nice debut in midnight green and silver, racking up 132 yards from scrimmage and scoring three times to lead Philly to a season-opening 34-29 win over Green Bay. But the Eagles then lost to Atlanta at home by one point on a last-minute touchdown, just snuck by New Orleans and dropped another decision to the Buccaneers, this time by 16 points in Week Four. Through those first four games and that largely NFC South gauntlet, quarterback Jalen Hurts had thrown four touchdown passes and four interceptions.

After the bye week, however, Hurts would throw just two more interceptions in his next 15 games, postseason included. (He was inactive for the last two games of the regular season.) Operating behind one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, Barkley was a weekly force of nature, surpassing 100 rushing yards in 14 of the 20 games in which he played and scoring 20 combined touchdowns. Including the four playoff contests, Barkley's 2,504 rushing yards set a single-season NFL record. Hurts finished the season with 18 touchdown passes and a 103.7 passer rating, with the receiving duo of A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith combining for 1,912 yards and 15 scores.

Meanwhile, the Eagles' defense merely finished first in the NFL rankings, including first against the pass thanks to a secondary that was completely rejuvenated by the team's first two draft picks, cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. The Philadelphia pass rush was characteristically diverse, with Josh Sweat leading the way with 8.5 sacks, Nolan Smith adding 6.5 and interior linemen Milton Williams and Jalen Carter contributing 5.0 and 4.5, respectively. Linebacker Zach Baun, an under-the-radar free agency signing, had a breakout season with 150 tackles, 3.5 sacks, five forced fumbles and terrific coverage metrics.

Philadelphia's run after the bye week included two wins over NFC East rival Dallas by a combined score of 75-13 plus signature victories over the Rams and the Ravens. The team's only loss after September was a 36-33 decision at Washington in which rookie Jayden Daniels threw the game-winning touchdown pass with six seconds left in regulation. Despite finishing with a 14-3 record, the Eagles did not get the top seed and first-round bye because Detroit went 15-2, but they easily dispatched of the Packers at home in the Wild Card round. The Rams gave the Eagles their biggest postseason challenge but Barkley ran for 205 yards and two touchdowns and Carter led a five-sack attack on Matthew Stafford in a 28-22 victory. Because Detroit lost in the Divisional Round, the NFC Championship Game was in Philadelphia, too, and Washington – the last team to beat the Eagles – came back to town. This time both Barkley and hurts rushed for three touchdowns as the Eagles poured it on in a 55-23 demolition. In the Super Bowl, the Eagles ceaselessly harassed Patrick Mahomes with a four-man rush – Sweat had 2.5 sacks – and Hurts threw touchdown passes to both Brown and Smith as Philly opened up a 34-0 lead by the third quarter. Kansas City scored a pair of late touchdowns to make the final score 40-22, but the Eagles were in control the entire game.

2025 Arrivals

The Eagles may not have a single player who is new to the roster in a starting role to open 2025, though first-round pick Jihaad Campbell could start at linebacker if Nakobe Dean, who tore a patellar tendon in the Wild Card game, isn't ready for the start of the season. The Eagles traded up one spot to land Alabama's Campbell at number 31 and could utilize him as both an off-ball linebacker and an edge rusher.

Much of the rest of the Eagles' draft was used to add defensive depth to a roster that is already loaded. Second-round safety Andrew Mukuba of Texas, third-round Nebraska defensive tackle Ty Robinson and fifth-rounders cornerback Mac McWilliams of UCF and linebacker Smael Mondon (5-161) of Georgia all figure to be reserves as rookies.

The Eagles also reworked the quarterback depth behind Hurts, trading with Cleveland for Dorian Thompson-Robinson and picking Syracuse passer Kyle McCord in the sixth round. Either one could challenge 2023 sixth-round pick Tanner McKee for the primary reserve spot behind Hurts.

The Eagles used the third day of the draft largely to restock their group of offensive line reserves, picking up Boston College's Drew Kendall, Michigan's Myles Hinton and Texas' Cameron Williams. The Eagles also traded with Houston for guard Kenyon Green, a former first-round pick who didn't stick as a full-time starter with the Texans. None of those new linemen are likely slated to start unless injuries hit the group.

The Eagles were not particularly active in free agency and they didn't sign a single new player to a deal longer than one year. They did grab some edge rush depth with former Giant Azeez Ojulari and former Patriot Josh Uche. Ojulari had 22.0 sacks in four years in New York, including 6.0 last year. Uche had 20.5 sacks in four-plus seasons in New England before being traded to the Chiefs at midseason last year.

The Eagles grabbed another former Giants defender in cornerback Adoree' Jackson, who started five games in 14 appearances last year but won't be needed to start in Philly unless 2023 fourth-round Pick Kelee Ringo doesn't work out. Fellow newcomer Avery Williams, previously with the Falcons, is nominally listed as a cornerback on the roster, too, but the Eagles signed him to compete for the punt and kickoff return jobs.

On offense, the most notably new addition is former Packers running back AJ Dillon, who could step in as the primary back to spell Barkley from time to time. Dillon didn't play last season due to injury but the former second-round pick had 2,428 rushing yards over the previous four seasons in Green Bay. The Eagles' offense also got some new depth pieces in former Colts tight end Kylen Granson, former Dolphins tackle Kendall Lamm and former Bears guard Matt Pryor. And there's a new long-snapper in town after the arrival of Charley Hughlett, who held the same job in Cleveland the past 10 seasons.

2025 Departures

As is often the case with the loaded roster of a defending Super Bowl champ, the Eagles did have some defections in free agency as a couple of core defenders got mega-deals with other teams. The biggest contract went to defensive tackle Milton Williams, who got four years and $140 million from the Patriots. Williams was only a part-time starter in Philadelphia but he had 5.0 sacks last year and was one of the most coveted players to hit the market.

Edge rusher Josh Sweat also cashed in for $76 million and four years in Arizona. He led the Eagles with 8.0 sacks in 2024 and then raised his profile even higher with 2.5 more in Super Bowl LIX.

Mekhi Becton spent only one season on the Eagles' offensive line but the former first-round pick revived his career by switching to guard and serving as a road-grader in the Eagles' powerful rushing attack. Others who got deals elsewhere in free agency included cornerbacks Isaiah Rodgers (Minnesota) and Avonte Maddox (Detroit), linebacker Oren Burks (Cincinnati) and running back Kenneth Gainwell (Pittsburgh). Burks stepped into the starting lineup for most of the playoffs last year after Dean got hurt.

The aforementioned trades to get Green and Thompson-Robinson also sent a player in the opposite direction. Quarterback Kenny Pickett was part of the deal with Cleveland for Thompson-Robinson while defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson went to Houston in the Green swap. The Eagles also released veteran cornerbacks Darius Slay and James Bradberry with post-June 1 designations. Slay landed in Pittsburgh but Bradberry has yet to sign with another team.

More recently, the Eagles traded defensive end Bryce Huff to San Francisco. Huff had come over from the Jets after a 10-sack season but never figured much in the Eagles' edge rush rotation (2.5 sacks) and was a healthy scratch for the Super Bowl.

Other Noteworthy Developments

The Eagles rewarded Head Coach Nick Sirianni for his two Super Bowl seasons and one Lombardi Trophy by signing him to a contract extension. Sirianni, whose .706 winning percentage in four seasons at the Eagles' helm is the highest among active head coaches, had been heading into the final year of his original contract with the team signed in 2021.

Baun, the former Saints linebacker who thrived in a larger role in Philadelphia, got a new three-year deal to remain with the Eagles. Philadelphia also wisely inked Barkley to a two-year extension after his record campaign. Tight end Dallas Goedert was widely expected to be a cap casualty but he and the team found a way to get a deal done. However, one prominent Eagle did move on, as defensive end Brandon Graham announced his retirement after 15 years in Philadelphia.

Pressing Questions

Will there be many significant lineup changes to the Eagles' top-ranked defense from 2024?

As noted above, the Eagles have moved on from a pair of very experienced veteran cornerbacks in Slay and Bradberry. However, Bradley spent last season on injured reserve. Slay did make 14 starts but is preparing to step in for him. Last year, the Eagles played DeJean largely in the slot but Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio has made some comments this season about the second-round rookie seeing time at safety. As noted earlier, veteran Adoree' Jackson may push Kelee Ringo for the other cornerback spot opposite Mitchell.

Sydney Brown is penciled in to start at safety with Gardner Johnson gone, and the 2023 third-round pick did start six games for the Eagles as a rookie. He should see competition for the job from second-round rookie Andrew Mukuba and former undrafted free agent Tristin McCollum, the twin brother of Buccaneers cornerback Zyon McCollum.

With Dean out, the Eagles could turn to 2024 fifth-round pick Jeremiah Trotter or give Campbell a try. Up front, the edge rush rotation lost Sweat, Graham and Huff but remains fairly deep after the emergence of 2023 first-round pick Nolan Smith last year plus the recent additions of Ojulari and Huff. Smith and Jalyx Hunt are the likely starters.

Will the Eagles' offense miss a beat with former coordinator Kellen Moore leaving for the head coaching job in New Orleans?

Moore only spent one season at the helm of the Eagles' offense and almost all of the starters from last year's high-scoring group are back. Sirianni maintained some continuity by promoting from within, giving the job to former Pass Game Coordinator Kevin Patullo. Still, Philadelphia saw how coordinator changes could have a big impact on the team when both Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon were poached for head coaching opportunities in 2023. The Eagles whiffed on their replacements, Brian Johnson on offense and Sean Desai on defense and wasted no time moving on to Moore and Fangio after one year.

Any play-caller for this version of the Eagles is likely to continue to rely on Barkley and the run game, particularly given Hurts' mobility and the nearly unstoppable "tush push" play on third or fourth-and-one. The offensive line remains a strength and the pass-catching trio of Brown, Smith and Goedert is intact. The Eagles' passing game had some inconsistent moments last year, however; perhaps Patullo will look for some new ways to get more out of Hurts' arm and the downfield playmaking ability of Brown and Smith.