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The Philadelphia Eagles have lost a lot of key defensive starters in free agency. For the first time this offseason, Philadelphia lost a free agent on the other side of the ball.
Mekhi Becton departed Philadelphia after reaching a deal with the Los Angeles Chargers, the team announced. Per ESPN, the deal is for two years and $20 million. Becton will join an offensive line that already has Rashawn Slater at left tackle and Joe Alt at right tackle, and he will continue to play guard. Expected to play right guard, the Chargers could release Trey Pipkins in order to save salary cap space.
Signing a one-year contract last offseason, the Eagles moved Becton to guard and he became a force on the offensive line. Becton allowed three sacks and 22 pressures this season at guard (5.2% pressure rate allowed per dropback). He allowed three sacks and eight pressures in the playoffs (7.2% pressure rate allowed per dropback).
The Eagles braced for a potential departure of Becton, as they traded for former first-round pick Kenyon Green in a deal that sent safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans. Philadelphia sent a 2026 sixth-round pick to Houston in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick in the deal.
Green and Tyler Steen will compete for the right guard spot with Becton’s departure. Green allowed five sacks and 28 pressures in 329 pass-blocking snaps last season (8.5% pressure rate allowed per dropback), but will be under the tutelage of Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland — who was crucial in Becton’s resurgence.
The Eagles have lost just one starter on offense on their Super Bowl championship team (Becton). They lost four on defense and six total players on that side of the ball, as the Super Bowl champions are going through a slight tinkering of the roster this offseason.
