3 Eаgleѕ plаyerѕ wһo could follow Kellen Moore to tһe Sаіntѕ

Kellen Moore should try to bring these Eagles' free agents to New Orleans.

While this added a negative aftertaste for fans in Philadelphia, as they just can't seem to maintain continuity at their coordinator spots, having a chance to hold the Lombardi Trophy before landing in New Orleans should only help Moore in his pursuits of another championship, as he now knows what it takes to reach the pinnacle of NFL success.

One factor that could bolster Moore's chances in New Orleans is free agency, with the former Cowboys quarterback having an opportunity to woo a few former Eagles back to Louisianna on a more full-time basis.

But which players should the Saints target? Could they go after one of the Eagles' free agent pass rushers, Josh Sweat or Milton Williams? Or how about a versatile offensive lineman like Mekhi Becton, who can play guard or tackle? Could they trade for Kenny Pickett, either to serve as Derek Carr's backup or his eventual replacement? Considering the Eagles did just win the Super Bowl, it's clear the team has a ton of talent on their roster, but if Moore wants to hit the ground running, he should try to bring these three players over from the City of Brotherly Love to ease his schematic transition from the NFC East to the NFC South.

1. Zack Baun

In the eyes of most Eagles fans, re-signing Zack Baun is priority number one of the 2025 NFL offseason. If the Eagles make three moves, re-signing Baun had better be the first. If the Eagles make one move, re-signing Baun had better be it. And if they pull a Dallas Cowboys and make no major moves in free agency, well, the organization had better be ready for protests outside of the NovaCare Center that would make Nico Harrison of the Mavericks blush, as saying goodbye to Baun could elicit a crowd on-par with the forthcoming Super Bowl parade.

And yet, it wouldn't be the first time Philadelphia let a promising player leave in free agency for one reason or another, especially at linebacker, where there is a history of players like Jordan Hicks and TJ Edwards getting their money elsewhere after earning their money in South Philadelphia. If Baun opts to test the market and look for the best possible deal, could that come in New Orleans?

Well, considering it was New Orleans who initially brought Baun into the NFL, albeit in a very different situation, giving the Wisconsin Badger a big-money contract, even if he technically earned it in Philadelphia, makes a ton of sense, as it would essentially be what fellow former Saints defender CJ Gardner-Johnson did with the Eagles in 2024.

After largely filling a reserve role for the Saints to start out his career, splitting his time between rushing the passer and chasing down return men on special teams, Baun blossomed in Philadelphia, picking up 151 combined tackles over the course of the regular season as a traditional inside linebacker while cementing his breakout All-Pro campaign with an interception of Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl that effectively iced out the game once and for all in Philly's favor.

While much is still up in the air for the Saints heading into 2025, both in terms of cap space and who will ultimately call defensive plays for the team, considering Willie Gay and Demario Davis are both free agents, New Orleans will have to sign someone to play linebacker for the team this fall, be that someone from their 2024 team or their 2023 squad. Considering the premium Brandon Staley placed on the middle linebacker position in Los Angeles during his run with the Chargers, drafting Kenneth Murray in the first round, Baun could fit that role to a tee.

2. Isaiah Rodgers

In 2024, the New Orleans cornerbacks room was bad. Now sure, the players they routinely deployed had pedigree, with Kool-Aid McKinstry a former first-round pick, Paulson Adebo a third-round pick in 2021, and Alontae Taylor a second-rounder in 2022, but after trading away Marshon Lattimore to the Washington Commanders before the trade deadline, none of these players were particularly good, with only one, McKinstry, ranking in the top half of PFF's CB rankings.

Goodness, the only player worse on the Saints' defense than Taylor – who ranked dead last among all cornerbacks – was Bryan Bresee, who earned an overall grade of 36.5 on the year.

While usually cornerback is one of the more expensive defensive positions to acquire in free agency, right up there with the defensive line, the Saints have a chance to secure a very good, dare-I-say starting-caliber performer on the cheap in the form of Isaiah Rodgers, who shined for the Eagles in limited action while often playing in place of an injured Darius Slay.

Standing 5-foot-10 with impressive 4.28 speed in the 40-yard dash, Rodgers looked right at home opposite Quinyon Mitchell on the field, even if he was occasionally bodied up by bigger wide receivers who could push him around. Though Rodgers looks like a slot, he's got the physicality and recovery speed to play on the outside too, which makes him a very interesting option for a team looking to upgrade multiple cornerback positions this offseason.

And the best part? He likely won't cost an arm and a leg to join the team, with his next deal almost surely coming in at less than $10 million per year due to his limited action in 2024, plus his year-old suspension for gambling in 2023.

Could the Saints opt for a more ready-made starter with recent experience in a full-time role? Potentially so, but if they have eyes for players in the draft, supplementing those selections with Rodgers in free agency would guarantee that McKinstry has a pro opposite him in Week 1, regardless of how things shake out.

3. Kenneth Gainwell

While it would be easy to pencil in Mekhi Becton at this spot, it's entirely possible the Saints could use their first-round pick on a player like Will Campbell out of LSU or Kelvin Banks out of Texas instead of investing in a fantastic guard who wasn't particularly good at tackle during his initial run with the New York Jets.

No, considering Moore is an offensive guy and may want to bring in an offensive player or two to help ease his system's transition from Philadelphia to New Orleans, signing Kenneth Gainwell to play RB2 behind Alvin Kamara makes a ton of sense on, say, a $5 million AAV contract.

Originally drafted in the fourth round out of Memphis in Nick Sirianni's first year as the Eagles' head coach, Gainwell has been the ultimate utility man in Philadelphia, running the ball, catching passes, returning kicks, and even filling the role of two-minute drill running back, with the fourth year starter sometimes earning snaps in that role over even Saquon Barkley.

Now granted, is Gainwell's set of skills somewhat similar to Kamara's but not quite as good? Sure thing, but after watching Jamal Williams fail to live up to expectations as a change-of-pace rusher, it's clear the Saints may be looking for a chance at the position. If they aren't as thrilled about the depth in the 2025 NFL Draft as, well, most talent evaluators, or they simply want that connective tissue between Philadelphia and New Orleans, bringing in Gainwell could pay dividends for Moore as he brings his system to the Big Easy.