This is, in many cases, all about showing faith in yourself. Signing a one-year contract in Free Agency equates to a trial period to showcase what you can do for your new team and the remainder of the NFL.
It is something that, as a prototype example, Zack Baun executed to perfection in the 2024 season.
After four seasons in New Orleans, Baun signed a one-year contract to play with the Eagles and, of course, you know how it played out. Baun earned a starting job with the Eagles, had an All-Pro season during which he became a finalist for NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and helped Philadelphia win Super Bowl LIX.
Baun then signed a lucrative three-year contract before 2025 free agency began and he has found his perfect spot in the NFL.
For players like Adoree' Jackson and Azeez Ojulari and Joshua Uche and A.J. Dillon and Harrison Bryant and Kylen Granson and Avery Williams and others who joined the Eagles in the 2025 Free Agency period, Baun is a picture-perfect example of how it can all work out.
"I'm extremely motivated and extremely excited and grateful to be here and call myself an Eagle now," said Williams, a wide receiver who has had success in the return game. "I'm here to be the best player I can be, whatever they want me to do."
Jackson has started in Tennessee and in New York and he comes to Philadelphia understanding that nothing is given to him. That is the nature of joining a talented roster where competition is stressed, encouraged, demanded.
In a young cornerback room, Jackson is an experienced addition who is ready to compete.
"I knew some of the guys coming in and I'm here to compete. That's the way it works in this league," he said. "The key is to learn the defense, get to know the guys and build that chemistry, and go out and play great football every day."
For Ojulari, coming off an injury-riddled start to his career with the Giants, coming to Philadelphia and playing for a team that just won the Super Bowl with a dominating defensive performance is a daily challenge.
Ojulari has to raise his game, has to stay healthy, and has to be productive.
"We have a lot of great players here and that means there is going to be a lot of competition," he said. "That brings out the best in you. I'm here to win football games and to be the best version of myself and you walk into this building every day and you know you have to be at your best. Raise your game every day. That's what we're all trying to do."
One-year contracts were the theme of the Eagles’ free agency as Executive Vice President/General Manager Howie Roseman stressed that approach given the plethora of draft picks in the team's bucket. So for someone like Uche, who just a couple of seasons ago recorded 11.5 quarterback sacks with New England, the chance to revitalize his career on a winning team with a dominating scheme was too good to pass up.
"Getting to the quarterback, playing tough, physical football, that's what I'm here to do," Uche said. "Having a chance to join this team with this defense, I think it's going to help me a lot. I know I'm going to be put in the right position to play my best ball, so it's up to me to go out there and do it. I feel like I have a lot to prove to myself every time I play, but now I'm with a new team and it's a fresh start.
"That's a good thing. We are moving forward here and every day I have to show the coaching staff that they can rely on me to do my job and be a great player."
