Up until last season’s success, there were a lot more articles dunking on Ryan Poles’ free agency track record than lauding it. It’s understandable as he has had some Nate Davis sized errors during his tenure.
But you can’t win the NFC North and come within one drive of the NFC Championship Game without hitting on a few free agent signings. Let’s take a look at some of the standouts:
- 2022: Uhh Patrick Scales, Justin Jones, and Khari Blasingame were the best of this crop, so we won’t dwell on this year for too long.
- 2023:
- Andrew Billings – 1 year, $3.5 million
- Tremaine Edmunds – 4 years, $72 million
- TJ Edwards – 3 years, $19.5 million
- 2024:
- D’Andre Swift – 3 years, $24.5 million
- Kevin Byard – 2 years, $15 million
- 2025:
- Drew Dalman – 3 years, $42 million
- Nashon Wright – 1 year, $1.1 million
*Excluded from consideration are players that were initially acquired via trade (Thuney, Jackson) or players that were re-signed/extended (Jaylon Johnson).
So – who is the best free agent signing of the Poles Era?
As much as I love the Drew Dalman signing – he was paid to be a premium Center and has performed as such. There are two players that I think Ryan Poles has gotten fantastic value out of — Kevin Byard and TJ Edwards.
Edwards was signed to a remarkably affordable deal totaling at $6.5 million AAV. His egregious extension aside, he well outplayed his initial contract by averaging 142 tackles, 3.3 sacks, 10 TFL, 5 PD, 2 INTs, and 1 FF per season in his first two years. Add in the fact that he is also a clubhouse leader and local kid, he was a phenomenal signing at a great value. Though he may not have been an All-Pro level player, this was one of the savvier moves in Poles’ history.
Byard was a similar signing in many ways. He was arguably undervalued in free agency at the time at $7.5 million AAV, due to his age and lackluster season in Philadelphia. Still, Poles saw a player who’s floor included back end leadership, a nose for the ball, and an iron man status. He cemented his massive value this past season by leading the league with 7 INTs to go along with 8 PD, 93 tackles, and 4 TFLs. His selection as a 1st team All-Pro was deserved and proof of how quality this signing was for a defense in need of playmakers.
To me, Byard edges out Edwards as I think his impact plays have been slightly more impactful than Edwards’ steady presence. It’s possible that Dalman eventually surpasses Byard as Poles’ best signing, but I think it will take another year of play to more accurately evaluate that contract.
In looking at Poles’ track record, while he still does have some frustrating misses (Dayo, Jarrett) he seems to be improving the further along he gets in his career. Let’s hope that trend continues as we approach the 2026 free agency period.