Ever since ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed that Vic Fangio is anticipated to be appointed as the team’s new defensive coordinator, the Philadelphia Eagles fan base has been incredibly excited. There is hope that Fangio may help turn things around because the Eagles’ defense was among the worst in 2023.

It will be intriguing to observe how Fangio affects Philly’s defense, particularly in terms of personnel. It wouldn’t be shocking if any of the Miami Dolphins players he coached the previous season would love to follow him to the City of Brotherly Love because he is a highly respected defensive coordinator who knows how to get the best out of his guys.

In light of that, Fangio may be able to entice these three dolphins to the Eagles in the spring.

1. OLB Jerome Baker

Injuries plagued the Eagles’ linebacker room the entire 2023 campaign. Zach Cunningham, Nicholas Morrow, and Nakobe Dean all lost time throughout the campaign, underscoring the necessity of adding even more depth to the squad in 2024.

Fangio ought to make every effort to entice Dolphins outside linebacker Jerome Baker because of this.

Although Baker has been a member of Miami since being selected 73rd overall in the 2018 draft, he will be testing free agency this offseason. The former Ohio State player finished the season with 78 solo tackles, 1.5 sacks, three passes defensed, and a career-high two interceptions in 13 games, so he wasn’t particularly productive.

Even though Baker didn’t have his best season last year, the Eagles might benefit from it. The likelihood of him not earning nearly as much as the $14.8 million salary charge he carried in 2023 is high, especially considering that Philadelphia has $18.7 million in cap space, according to Spotrac. It might be the best off-season acquisition if the Eagles can convince him to return on a less expensive contract.

In addition, Baker would receive less attention now that Dean, Nolan Smith, and Hasson Reddick are all part of the team, which would allow him to resume his typical output levels.

2. The DB Elijah Campbell

Even though the Eagles’ defense needs to improve in several areas, the secondary should be given primary priority. Philadelphia allowed the second-most passing yards allowed in the regular season, meaning opposing teams had a field day throwing the ball.

Elijah Campbell might be a useful depth addition for the Eagles this summer, even though the Dolphins don’t really have any well-known defensive backs to target.

Campbell had his busiest season to date in 2023, recording career highs in offensive (122) and special teams (301) snaps in 15 games, including one start. Despite having limited defensive playing time, the 28-year-old wide receiver managed to record 10 solo tackles, one intercepted throw, and only allowed a 55.6% completion rate and an 87.7 passer rating on nine targets.

Yes, it’s a small sample size, but it also shows that he can be useful in some situations.

Not every signing of a free agent must be a big hit. The smaller contracts are sometimes what separate contenders from pretenders, so adding Campbell to Philadelphia might be a low-risk, high-reward move.

3. The DT Christian Wilkins

If he can persuade defensive tackle Christian Wilkins to play for the Eagles, Fagio could be able to help them in light of the potential departure of Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox via free agency.

Wilkins, who was previously selected 13th overall in 2019, was unstoppable under Fangio last season, recording 38 solo stops, 10 of which were for lost yardage, two interceptions, one forced fumble, and a career-high 9.0 sacks. Because of his breakthrough performance, he was ranked No. 29 among 130 qualifying players by Pro Football Focus for interior defenders.

It’s not surprising that Wilkins would be seeking a hefty salary following such a tremendous season. His estimated market value, according to Spotrac, is really $20.2 million per season, which is around $2 million more than the Eagles have available. But that’s where our recently appointed DC steps in.

Fangio’s only year with Wilkins saw him have a breakthrough campaign, demonstrating how crucial the latter was to that advancement. If Wilkins wants to improve even more the following season, it might be in his best interest to maintain that relationship. While I wouldn’t be shocked if the 28-year-old were to accept a lower salary than he would elsewhere in order to continue playing for a DC with whom he clicks, I wouldn’t anticipate that he would accept a significant pay cut in order to rejoin Fangio.

President/general manager Howie Roseman might restructure deals to make the numbers make sense if the desire to play for Fangio reduces Wilkins’ asking price by a few million dollars. A player of Wilkins’ talent, after all, might be the difference between another Broad Street Super Bowl parade and an early offseason.