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NFL free agency is off and running, and we're keeping track of every major signing, trade and release of the 2021 offseason, with analysis from our NFL Nation reporters and grades from our experts. The new league year began March 17, meaning free-agent signings could be made official after that. The first round of the 2021 NFL draft begins April 29 on ESPN.
The Philadelphia Eagles are tight on salary-cap space but they know how to get creative with contract structures and will find a way to add players. The defensive secondary is expected to be a focus. Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon specializes in defensive backs and is expected to build his defense largely around that group. Philadelphia needs a starting cornerback to work opposite Darius Slay. Wide receiver remains unsettled and the room could use a veteran presence with DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery now off the team. Jalen Hurts is the lone quarterback on the roster at the moment. At least one QB will be added through free agency or trade between now and the start of the season.

PHILADELPHIA -- The 2021 NFL league year is upon us and tight end Zach Ertz is still a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.
That has some people scratching their heads. The sides have appeared destined for a split ever since extension talks broke down last offseason, putting strain on the relationship in the process. Ertz is ripe for a fresh start. Philadelphia is tight against the salary cap, has Dallas Goedert in the fold and is in the midst of a youth movement. All the signs are there.
There have been efforts toward getting a deal done behind the scenes. The Eagles granted Ertz permission to seek a trade about a month ago. But the proposed compensation in return for the three-time Pro Bowler clearly hasn't bowled the Eagles over.

PHILADELPHIA -- For the second year in a row, Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie is pointing the franchise in the direction of quarterback Jalen Hurts -- raising questions and concerns in the process.
Lurie was influential in the selection of Hurts in last April's draft, according to sources. He wasn't alone on an island -- former coach Doug Pederson was seeking a young QB to develop and general manager Howie Roseman was said to be on board -- but Lurie wanted Hurts. And when bosses want something they usually get it.
Philadelphia used its second-round pick (No. 53 overall) on the Oklahoma product despite being financially committed to quarterback Carson Wentz to the tune of four years and $128 million. Hurts showed promise in four starts as a rookie, but using a high pick on Hurts, and later starting him in favor of the struggling Wentz, played a major role in the deterioration of the relationship between Wentz and the organization.

Philadelphia clearly went after up-and-coming coaches who could grow on the job. Will innovative ideas make up for what they lack in experience?

PHILADELPHIA -- Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has been spreading a lot of love in and around the City of Brotherly Love.
He connected with the family of a 7-year-old boy named Erick, who is battling cancer, through Alex's Lemonade Stand to fulfill their Christmas wishes during this past holiday season. Hurts learned over that time that the family of seven from Nottingham, Pennsylvania, was living in a two-bedroom trailer, so when he went to visit them, he surprised them with a check for $30,000 to put toward a new home.
WATCH: As @JalenHurts was taking on his first season with the @Eagles, he was also building a special relationship with an amazing family of fans fighting childhood cancer that he met through Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. https://t.co/rpQl17E7Qt— Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (@AlexsLemonade) February 4, 2021

Philadelphia owner Jeffrey Lurie's thirst for fresh ideas and innovation, particularly on offense, has generated a pool of mostly 30-somethings.

PHILADELPHIA -- The term Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie kept coming back to when talking about quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Jalen Hurts Monday was "assets."
It was one of the descriptors he used for Wentz when asked if the 2016 No. 2 overall pick would remain on the roster in 2021 -- Lurie said it wasn't his decision to make -- and it's how he framed the QB situation when giving an argument for why Philadelphia would be a desirable spot to be a head coach.
"We've got two really interesting assets. They are both young. They are both hungry. They are terrific people, very different and terrific people," Lurie said during a videoconference to discuss the firing of Super Bowl-winning coach Doug Pederson. "A coach is going to have options. A coach is going to have an ability to fix what he feels is necessary in our offense and have a potential star in Carson and a potential star in Jalen. That gives us an asset, also, so that if we end up deciding on one some day, the other is a really good asset."

Win and in for Washington. That's all. A victory secures the NFC East and a playoff berth for the team under coach Ron Rivera.

When Philadelphia kicks off Sunday at Dallas, the teams' respective franchise quarterbacks will be watching and waiting to see how 2021 will play out.

With the third-oldest roster in 2019, the oft-injured Eagles plan to reverse the aging process by making room for the next generation this offseason.

"He let me do them different days," said Sanders. "It's not fun."
But it is effective, apparently. Sanders, who had issues with fumbling at Penn State, has not let another ball hit the turf since.
That's the story of Sanders' rookie campaign in a nutshell: a bump in the road followed by a quick correction and from there, pure acceleration.
He enters Sunday's 2019 regular-season finale at the New York Giants (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox) ranked seventh in all-purpose yards (1,590), trailing Carolina's Christian McCaffrey, Cleveland's Nick Chubb, New Orleans' Michael Thomas, Jacksonville's Leonard Fournette, Minnesota's Dalvin Cook and Dallas' Ezekiel Elliott. Sanders is now the Eagles' all-time leader in rookie all-purpose yards following two standout performances against the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys in which he racked up 278 yards and three scores.

PHILADELPHIA -- Eagles tight end Zach Ertz was unavailable to speak with the media following Sunday's 17-9 win against the Dallas Cowboys, a victory that put Philadelphia in the driver's seat in the NFC East. He had injured his ribs in the game, and exited the locker room promptly to get treatment postgame.
No matter. His message had already been delivered the night before, during a speech at the hotel as the Eagles gathered for one final meeting before the biggest game of their season. Looking to get them in the right frame of mind, Ertz stood up in front of his peers and told the story of Hernan Cortes, a Spanish conquistador from the 1500s.

There has been a subtle transformation inside Philadelphia's locker room lately, brought on by the quarterback's late-game play and toughness.

Cornerback is a major area of concern for the banged-up Eagles, and the idea of acquiring one of the top three CBs is appealing. Here are the issues.

Editor's note: Philadelphia Eagles running back Darren Sproles announced he would retire at the end of the season. Here is the story of his journey into the NFL.
PHILADELPHIA -- Safety Malcolm Jenkins was asked for a favorite memory of running back Darren Sproles, and instead offered a striking thought.
"Every time I think about Darren, it's really one thing that constantly pops into my head," Jenkins said of his Philadelphia Eagles teammate. "He makes you reconsider if you want to be great."
He makes you reconsider if you want to be great.
Jenkins has seen Sproles' meticulous approach up close for nine years now -- first as his teammate with the New Orleans Saints and now in Philadelphia. He knows how hard Sproles trains. How he takes care of his body. How he always goes full speed at practice, even at age 36. That he habitually finishes every rep, not stopping until he's in the end zone. That he has done this day after day, year after year, without complaint. Jenkins, like most who have come into contact with Sproles, marvels.