The sad truth about the Philadelphia Eagles and their brilliant offensive line is when you get this good, you probably can’t afford to keep everybody around.
It’s a good problem to have, but it doesn’t make it sting any less when talent like guard Mekhi Becton walks out the door, which the former first round pick did for a 2-year, $20 million free agent contract with the Los Angeles Chargers on March 14.
Becton’s career was on life support when he signed a 1-year, $2.75 million contract with the Eagles in March 2024 after 4 seasons with the New York Jets. After a position switch from tackle to guard and a Super Bowl win, Becton found himself one of the more sought-after guards in NFL free agency.
While replacing Becton could be difficult for the Eagles, they’re arguably still coming out on top.
“After losing free-agent OL Mekhi Becton to the Chargers, as @Tim_McManus reported, the Eagles are now poised to have 2026 compensatory picks in rounds 3, 4, 5 and 6,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account on March 15. “They also already had the Jets’ 3 in 2026 courtesy of the Haason Reddick trade. They now are expected to have five of the top 100 picks, and 12 overall picks, in the 2026 NFL Draft.”
That’s an incredible haul — and one the Eagles and general manager Howie Roseman might be able to spin into gold at any number of positions.
Becton Turned Career Around in Philly
Becton can hang his hat on one of the great career turnarounds for an offensive lineman in recent memory.
Selected in the first round (No. 11 overall) of the 2020 NFL draft by the Jets in 2020, Becton was a full-time starter as a rookie but only played 1 game over the 2021 and 2022 seasons with knee injuries. He returned in 2023 to play 16 games but was criticized for his play and the Jets declined his fifth-year option — leading him into Roseman’s open arms.
Becton, 6-foot-7 and 363 pounds, now gets to play for an up-and-coming contender with the Chargers and second-year head coach Jim Harbaugh and goes there in the prime of his career at 25 years old. He also goes there having proven himself as one of the NFL’s best guards. His 75.2 overall grade from PFF in 2024 ranked him 21st out of a possible 135 eligible players at his position.
Eagles Have One of NFL’s Highest Paid Offensive Lines
One look at the Eagles payroll in regards to its offensive line reveals a team willing to spend at the most important and underappreciated positions on the field. It’s also the reason why the Eagles just won their second Super Bowl in the last decade as well as produced just the ninth 2,000-yard rusher in NFL history in 2024 with NFL Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley.
Three of the five starters on the Eagles offensive line are signed to massive contracts that pay them around $20 million per year with left tackle Jordan Mailata (3 years, $66 million), left guard Landon Dickerson (4 years, $84 million) and right tackle Lane Johnson (4 years, $80.7 million).
You can count on at least one more of the Eagles’ offensive linemen getting paid in the near future as well. Starting center Cam Jurgens is in the final season of the 4-year, $5.75 million rookie contract he signed in 2022 and was selected to his first Pro Bowl in 2024.
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