First Wave

The Philadelphia Eagles have been in attack mode for the early days of free agency, picking up key players at multiple positions.

On the latest episode of “Inside The Birds,” Adam Caplan and Geoff Mosher provided intel on the team’s signings.

GETTY IMAGES: Eagles hope newly-signed EDGE Bryce Huff will bring improved pass rush.

Howie Roseman

Geoff Mosher: “We have been told by people who know the team that Howie was in this mode of ‘I know what I have to do, I’m going to do it.’”

Adam Caplan: “We felt confident he was going to try to be aggressive. He achieved it to a certain degree of success.”

Saquon Barkley

Mosher: “What we learned along the way is that this is a player Howie has coveted for quite a while.”

Caplan: “This was one of those situations where Howie was not going to be denied. It wasn’t a secret, there were other teams involved, they knew this. The agent did a good job of leveraging here…It is a typical first-year cap number for any team that is spending a lot of money: the first year cap number is $3.905 million. The guarantees of $26 million, all are fully guaranteed at signing. It is a two-year structure.”

Matt Hennessy

Mosher: “This is my favorite signing so far. The Eagles have needed for a year now an interior offensive lineman who can snap the football if need be.”

Bryce Huff

Caplan: “As a bench player, his pressure numbers were ridiculous. He is relentless, has length which is what we were told Vic Fangio wants…What is his role? He is going to be a standup pass rusher. We are not expecting (Josh) Sweat to be on the team one way or another.”

Mosher: “Do we realize how light on the edges they would be if they started both Haason Reddick and Bryce Huff?…You can be light on the edges if you are playing this five man front, you just need bigger linebackers than what the Eagles typically have.”

C.J. Gardner-Johnson

Caplan: “My sense is, based on the little feedback I got on this contract, is that the guarantee is a little bit higher than their offer last year. C.J. got hurt two years in a row, both significant injuries.”

Mosher: “The only thing I question: He has played in the Vic Fangio scheme before, but we know Vic is a real stickler for ‘this is your assignment, you do your assignment and carry it out.’ There is a certain freelance element to C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s game.”

– Benjamin Paul is a staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.