The Philadelphia Eagles are being taken to task for a revenge move that failed miserably.
The Philadelphia Eagles knew they had to address their pass rush after losing both Josh Sweat and Milton Williams last offseason, so they decided to sign former New York Giants edge rusher Azeez Ojulari in free agency.
At the time, the deal looked like a steal for the Eagles. Not only were they poaching a solid pass rusher from an NFC East rival, but they were able to nab Ojulari on a one-year, $4 million contract.
That seemed like an absolute bargain for a player who totaled 22 sacks in 46 games with the Giants between 2021 and 2024.
However, Ojulari was scarcely even seen for Philadelphia this past season. He played in just three games due to a hamstring injury, and during his time on the field, he logged six tackles without a single sack. He also played in just 32 percent of Philly's defensive snaps in the contests he played.
Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus called Ojulari the Eagles' worst signing of last offseason.
Azeez Ojulari. Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images."The Eagles recognized that they’d need help at edge defender after Josh Sweat’s departure, but the position remained in flux until the midseason acquisition of Jaelan Phillips," Locker wrote. "Ojulari was part of that underwhelming play, as the former Giant appeared on only 67 snaps with his new NFC East team. He recorded only a 49.4 PFF pass-rush grade in that span, too."
Injuries have always been a problem for Ojulari. He played just one full season in New York, which came during his rookie campaign. Over his final three years with the Giants, the former second-round pick appeared in just 29 contests.
You can't blame Philadelphia for trying. Ojulari had been productive when he was on the field for New York, and he is only 25 years old.
But clearly, things did not exactly pan out for Ojulari in the City of Brotherly Love.
Now, with Phillips also a free agent, the Eagles will have to decide what they want to do at edge rusher. They almost certainly are not retaining Ojulari, and even if they do, they obviously cannot count on the oft-injured defender.
Perhaps Philadelphia will use an early draft choice on a pass rusher, as the Birds do not have the cap room to sign a major piece in free agency.
Eagles Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Eagles. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.