Eagles Stay or Go 2025: Is it worth it to re-sign Mekhi Becton?

https://sports.yahoo.com/article/eagles-stay-2025-worth-sign-070000785.html

Eagles Stay or Go 2025: Is it worth it to re-sign Mekhi Becton? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Reuben Frank and Dave Zangaro bring back Stay or Go in 2025, trying to figure out the futures of every Eagles player on the roster.

We already took a look at quarterback, running back, receiver and tight end.

Up today: Interior offensive line

Mekhi Becton

Roob: I love what Becton did this year and the way he embraced a position change, accepted tough coaching from Jeff Stoutland and worked like crazy to become a very good NFL guard. He’s a perfect example of what the culture that Nick Sirianni has built means to players. Becton was seen as a malcontent and a failure with the Jets, but put him in an atmosphere of work and learning and effort and connection and winning, and look what happens. Now, after four miserable years with the Jets, he’s got himself a ring, and he’s about to get himself a nice contract. I think it’s going to be tough for the Eagles to re-sign Becton, whose value has obviously skyrocketed since the Eagles to a low-budget one-year deal. I know Becton loved his year here and would love to stay if the money makes sense. The Eagles still have Tyler Steen under contract for two more years on a rookie deal, and with so many other priorities in free agency I’m not sure how Howie Roseman gets this done. But Steen isn’t Becton, either. Could go either way, but I’m going to say …

Verdict: Goes

Dave: The Eagles had a ton of good individual stories in 2024 and the Becton one was one of the best. He never played for a winning team and was unsigned until after the draft. The Eagles signed Becton for some OL depth and then had the idea to move him to guard. Give Becton credit because he bought in completely and played well all season between Cam Jurgens and Lane Johnson. Becton is now set to be a free agent after playing this past season on a one-year deal and it’s not easy to figure out what his market is going to look like. He had a good season in 2024 but will teams see him as a tackle or a guard? And will teams be willing to give him a long-term deal? The Eagles would love to have Becton back but they already have three of their starting offensive linemen on big deals and Cam Jurgens will probably get an extension this offseason. Can they really afford to pay all five like that? Probably not. There’s a chance the market is a little lukewarm for Becton and he decides to give a discount and return to play for Jeff Stoutland. But it seems a little more likely that he ends up elsewhere.

Verdict: Goes

Landon Dickerson

Roob: At just 26 years old, Dickerson may already be the greatest guard in Eagles history, although Brandon Brooks may have something to say about that. Dickerson is the only offensive lineman in Eagles history to make three Pro Bowls in his first four seasons and the first Eagle at any position since Donovan McNabb from 2000 through 2002. And he’s already matched the most career Pro Bowls by any Eagles second-round pick. A few others have made three – Randall Cunningham, Zach Ertz, DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy, among them. Dickerson’s ability to play at a consistently high level despite some pretty serious injuries is impressive. He may not be the best guard in the NFL but he’s close.

Verdict: Stays

Dave: The Eagles’ massive left guard played through a knee injury in Super Bowl LIX and played at a really high level all season. The 2021 second-round pick has been a home run selection for the Eagles. He has been a Pro Bowler in each of the last three years and has started at least 16 games in each of those seasons. The Eagles got ahead of Dickerson’s contract by signing him to a four-year, $84 million deal last offseason that will last through the 2028 season. Dickerson is the highest-paid guard in the NFL but he’ll probably lose that crown this offseason. The Eagles were wise to get the deal done when they did and Dickerson rewarded them with a stellar 2024 season.

Verdict: Stays

Cam Jurgens

Roob: Jurgens showed tremendous grit playing in the Super Bowl with a back injury that required surgery and would have sidelined almost any other player. And playing at a very high level. What Jurgens gave the Eagles this year in his first year as an NFL center was remarkable. Just to have the mental toughness to follow the best center of our generation is challenging enough but then to perform at a level that allows the o-line to continue at an elite level – a championship level – without him? That’s really special stuff.

Verdict: Stays

Dave: The Eagles lost future Hall of Famer Jason Kelce to retirement last offseason and they didn’t drop off at all. It’s amazing to realize just how well Jurgens played in his first year as the Eagles’ full-time starting center. He was a Pro Bowler and never let the pressure of replacing a legend hinder him. And then to play through a painful back injury in the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl was heroic. Jurgens is entering the final year of his rookie contract, which means he’s eligible for an extension. This is a no-brainer. The Eagles always care about keeping their cornerstones and Jurgens is one. I’d be shocked if he doesn’t get that extension this offseason.

Verdict: Stays

Trevor Keegan

Roob: The Eagles liked Keegan enough to draft him in the fifth round, but then he was inactive for 20 of 21 games, dressing out only for the meaningless season-ender against the Giants, which he didn’t even start. Being a 5th-round draft pick gives you a pretty good chance to stick as a rookie, but it doesn’t help a ton in Year 2. We’ll see who the Eagles draft and bring in during the offseason, but my gut instinct is that Jeff Stoutland would like to upgrade the interior backups.

Verdict: Goes

Dave: It was mostly a redshirt season for the fifth-round pick from Michigan but it wasn’t a wasted year. He was a freshman at Stoutland University and now he’s entering his sophomore season. We still don’t know how good Keegan can be and whether or not he’ll ever be a starter in the league. But the Eagles invested in him and made sure to keep him on their roster all season. I don’t see them getting rid of him after just one season where he didn’t even see the field.

Verdict: Stays

Tyler Steen

Roob: I don’t think it’s a slam dunk that if Becton leaves through free agency that Steen automatically becomes the starting right guard. I think he’s been OK – just OK – when he has played but knowing Stout he’s not going to hand Steen anything. Would the Eagles draft another interior lineman or sign someone and give him a shot at competing? Wouldn’t surprise me. I don’t think Steen has shown enough to earn the job without competition. But he’s also only 24 and everybody always gets better under Stout, so we’ll see. Just a hunch that if the starting right guard isn’t Becton, it might not be Steen either.

Verdict: Stays

Dave: I give Steen a lot of credit for handling the 2024 season with the grace he did. It was expected that Steen would be the starting right guard in 2024 and he began training camp in that spot until he suffered a minor ankle injury. That’s when the Eagles tried Mekhi Becton in his place and he never gave the job back. But Steen did everything he could to fight for that position and was able to fill in when the team needed him, including at left guard in the NFC Championship Game. We’ll see what happens with Becton this offseason and we’ll see if the Eagles add another lineman in the draft. But at the very least, Steen will be back in 2025 as an important depth player and there’s a strong chance he could be the starting right guard.

Verdict: Stays

https://sports.yahoo.com/article/eagles-stay-2025-worth-sign-070000785.html