As the second part of free agency gets going, the Philadelphia Eagles are in a position where smart moves and under-the-radar signings could put this team over the top. While the splashy moves are what every fan wants to see, there’s value in the small, even depth, moves.

One area that Philadelphia and every other contender in the NFL needs to improve is the offensive line. The Eagles have prioritized building a great unit in the trenches, and with the changes that come from injuries, age, and contracts, having depth up front is important.

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Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice believes that due to those questions, James Daniels would make a lot of sense.

Daniels, 28, brings experience and versatility. Daniels has played with the Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers, and, most recently, the Miami Dolphins. Daniels, however, only played in one game with the Dolphins a season ago due to a pectoral injury.

According to Kempski, there’s also familiarity that could factor into the Eagles’ interest. Daniels was one of the prospects that they hosted on a pre-draft visit back in 2018. That might not mean a whole lot, but as Kempski touched on, there’s some history suggesting that it does.

“We covered Daniels previously, and he is still available. Daniels has played eight NFL seasons after he was the 39th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He played four seasons in Chicago, three in Pittsburgh, and then last season in Miami,” he wrote.

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“When he was a prospect coming out of college, the Eagles brought him in for a pre-draft visit. It should be noted that the Eagles have acquired at least four players — Darius Leonard, Rashaad Penny, Tremon Smith, and Jeremy Reaves — who visited the Eagles that year at various points after the 2018 draft, and showed interest in others, like S Justin Reid…

“However, after suffering a season-ending Achilles tear after four games in 2024 and another season-ending pectoral injury after 3 snaps in 2025, Daniels can now be found in the bargain bin. Also, the Dolphins released Daniels in mid-February, which means that he would not count against the compensatory pick formula for the next team that signs him.”

Adding Daniels has some risks to it, but for a low price, there are a lot worse options out there for the Eagles to give a chance.