After the Super Bowl, Philadelphia's stout D-line could take a hit

A great Super Bowl performance by Philadelphia's defensive line could be a good news/bad news situation for some Eagles fans.

On the one hand, it will likely mean a second Super Bowl title for the franchise. But any talk of a dynasty or a repeat championship might be subdued as the team could lose nearly every key player on the stout defensive line by next season.

Starters Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham and Javon Hargrave are impending free agents. So are key backups Robert Quinn and Ndamukong Suh.

Philadelphia totaled a league-leading 70 sacks in 2022, the vast majority from the defensive line. The second-best sack artists, Super Bowl opponent Kansas City, had 55. The Eagles also finished second in the NFL in yards allowed per game at 301.5.

If the defensive line performs as it did all season, it could set up those five free agents for paydays from other teams. With Philadelphia's cap situation, keeping them all will be virtually impossible.

Philadelphia has a mere $4.7 million in cap space heading into the offseason. Each of the D-line starters carried an average annual value of more than $13 million in 2022, according to Sportrac. The Eagles also have other key impending free agents in center Jason Kelce and cornerback James Bradberry.

The Eagles must also look at extending quarterback Jalen Hurts, an MVP candidate whose next contract will put a bigger dent in the cap than his 2023 $5 million hit.

Trying to bring all five defensive linemen back, even at half the price, will be challenging for GM Howie Roseman, a master at roster building. The good news is that five are over 30. That could limit their market, and they might be willing to take a discount to stay with Eagles.

Still, it would be a shock to see all five sign for a fraction of their worth. That will leave the Eagles turning to the draft and cheaper options to fill the void. It’s unlikely whatever new players are added will replicate the 70-sack performance from 2022.

The loss of the sack masters will weaken the defense in 2023 and make it harder for a repeat. A win Sunday, though, will make it easier to stomach for Eagles fans.