While Miles Sanders is a near-certainty not to be franchise-tagged, this year’s batch of tag decisions will likely affect the Eagles running back. Various teams’ tag decisions — two of them in the NFC East — stand to impact Sanders, who is likely to hit free agency.
The Eagles, who have most of their starting defense unsigned, are not expected to bring back Sanders on a second contract, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports notes. GM Howie Roseman is not believed to want to make a notable investment at the running back position, which would send Sanders to a crowded market. Sanders, 26, would like to stay in Philadelphia. He may not have that option, given how many other priorities the NFC champions will have in free agency.
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How the Cowboys, Giants and Raiders proceed with their respective tags will determine how crowded that market will be. Tony Pollard, Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs are on the tag radar. Barkley’s tag status will depend on if the Giants and Daniel Jones can reach an extension agreement in the next week. Jacobs’ place as a tag recipient is less certain, though that scenario has been on the radar for a while now. Pollard looks likeliest to be tagged. These three being off the market will move Sanders and others up on teams’ various boards, and the former second-round pick is coming off a big year.
Barkley’s successor at Penn State, Sanders smashed his career-high rushing total with 1,269 yards en route to Pro Bowl acclaim. He added 11 rushing TDs, nearly doubling his previous career-best mark, and resided as a central cog in the Eagles’ dominant ground attack. The Jalen Hurts-led offense, however, did not focus much on Sanders as an aerial threat. He totaled 78 receiving yards this season and did not surpass 200 in 2020 or 2021. In Carson Wentz‘s final full season as Philly’s starter, however, Sanders amassed 509 receiving yards. That season stands out from his next three and his lone year as the Nittany Lions’ starter (139). Sanders’ lack of steady receiving contributions will affect his value.
Even if the top three free agent backs are cuffed via the tag, Sanders is still on track to join several other starters on the market. Kareem Hunt, Devin Singletary, Jamaal Williams, David Montgomery, D’Onta Foreman, Damien Harris and both the Dolphins’ primary 2022 backs (Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson) are ticketed for free agency. There are also not too many teams in need at the position, which will likely depress the market ahead of a draft viewed as being full of promising (and cheap, save for Bijan Robinson) options at the oft-devalued job.
This array of options could give teams chances to retain their top backs at low costs. The Eagles have both Sanders and longtime backup Boston Scott headed for free agency (along with Jason Kelce, Isaac Seumalo and eight defensive starters). Absent low-cost reunions with one of those backs, Kenneth Gainwell poised to play a bigger role in 2023. The Eagles should also be expected to draft a back to team with Gainwell, Vacchiano adds.
I care about your career even less than you care about fans’ fantasy teams lol
Duh.
yeah he’s not that good.
When he’s on he’s worth it, but you can’t give him his payday as it stands. The playoffs came and his role and output diminished. He wants to stay, but I just don’t see them locking up that kind of money to keep him. Thank you for your service, good luck wherever you land.
I’m in the camp that believes he’d thrive in Miami but he’ll probably be more expensive than, for example, Montgomery or Mattison
Given their cap situation, Miami probably shouldn’t spend enough on a running back to get any of those guys. Given their system, maybe bring back Wilson and then draft one. There are plenty of likely starters in this draft, including a few speed demons who would be fun in that offense.
And so it begins. Management is cutting talent loose in order to preserve their money to overpay Hurts. Sanders will have absolutely no problem landing his next gig and Philly will be worse off for it.
They’ll be fine. This free agent and draft class are so loaded with running backs that it won’t be hard to land a good one for cheap. And better to “overpay” Hurts than shelling out for the likes of Daniel Jones or spending multiple firsts to get one of the QBs in this draft. And they still have a lot of talent on rookie deals and extra premium picks. They’re well situated for a big QB contract, even if this offseason comes with a few departures.
Howie might shock the world and grab Bijan lol
That would certainly be a fun offense to watch, but a speed demon like Tucker or Achane could also be a lot of fun, and at a lower round price.
Shock the world? About 70% of the mock drafts I have seen have the Eagles drafting Robinson.
mald
Philly has some major cap issues. They have Slay and Johnson eating up 50 million in cap space together and they also have over 70 million in dead money and void years. I think it’s like 53% of their cap is in only 2 active players. They would have to extend Slay since this is the last year of his deal and they have already pushed Johnson’s money down so that would just delay the inevitable. Gonna be a rough situation.
Not sure where you’re getting your numbers, but their cap situation isn’t too bad. They’re middle of the pack in cap space with perhaps still the most complete roster in football–including locked in talent at most of the most expensive and high value positions. Slay and Johnson are slated to take up a little under 22% of their cap next season, and another ~20% in dead cap. They’re going to shed a bunch of veterans this offseason (aside from the UFAs, Kelce, Graham, Cox, and Seumalo could all be gone), but they have some young talent waiting to step in, not to mention an extra first this year and an extra second next year. I think they’re in good shape.
It looks like the Eagles missed their year, with the loss in the Super Bowl. Still a playoff team, but deteriorating fast. The Cap kills (almost) all dynasties. Only Belichick found a way around it (sell off his flashiest players, keep the hard-working good players with lower talent ceiling).
Every Super Bowl loss is a heartbreaking missed best chance, but I don’t think they’re deteriorating fast. They’re losing some pieces for sure, but they’re well built to bridge the phases. They have a great young core locked in with Mailata, Brown, and Goedert on offense, Sweat, Davis, and Reddick. The oldest two of those guys are 28. A Hurts extension is forthcoming, and they an afford it.
They have enough money to sign their draft picks before cutting anyone. They’ve drafted guys like Dean and Jurgens in advance of losing veterans to free agency or retirement. They have an extra first and an extra second the next two drafts. They definitely need to add and prepare for the future at corner and tackle, but they’re well armed to do so. And I can’t remember an offseason when it was THIS easy to fill the running back position.
I’m not even an Eagles fan at all, but I admire how they’ve set themselves up. I chuckle sometimes thinking of how many Eagles fans on here were bemoaning Roseman this time last year.
You forgot to include the void money they have also.
47.1 million in dead money
29.9 million in void money
50.3 million for Slay and Johnson
127.3 million total
Philly has a 234.6 million cap
Thats 54.2 % of their cap in only 2 active palyers.
http://www.spotrac.com
I’m pretty sure you’re talking about what the dead cap hit would be IF they were cut. You don’t cut the dead cap AND the cap hit.
nope……not at all. That website has all the dead money listed and all players in yellow/gold are void years. People always ignore the void years. The only way those void years go away is if they get resigned or they retire and they can spread them out,
If you’re talking about 2023, then I have no idea what you’re talking about. You can go to Spotrac, go to the Eagles’ page, and scroll down to dead money to see what they’re carrying. Graham, Kelce, Cox, and Seumalo are on void years, which is why everyone is discussing them as free agents. Slay and Johnson are still under contract for 2023. Dead money is strictly theoretical, because it’s not a void year for them, and they haven’t been cut or traded.
i actually put spotrac in my reply earlier today. thats where my info is coming from.
I know you did. That’s why I’m telling you what what I’m seeing there. I think you’re reading it wrong.
and yes, I’m looking at 2023…the upcoming season.
OK. Then you should see that Johnson and Slay combine to a cap hit a little over $50.3 million, making up 24.44% of the cap. If you scroll all the way down to the 2023 dead cap section, you will not see them listed. Slay doesn’t have a void year until 2025, Johnson until 2026.
There were four other players who had void years and that’s what you were disregarding. Of course, now that has changed since the weekend and they are down to two so they must have resigned them two of them.
Truly don’t even know which thing you’re talking about anymore, but you were simply wrong about several things, including the claim about the cap hits on Johnson and Slay for next year.
I clearly have exactly what you said about Slay and Johnson……….here it is again……
47.1 million in dead money
29.9 million in void money
50.3 million for Slay and Johnson
127.3 million total
Philly has a 234.6 million cap
Thats 54.2 % of their cap in only 2 active palyers.
http://www.spotrac.com
now the void year money is less because they have resigned 2 of the 4 who were on void years. thats down to 12.69 million for Cox(he has dead money also) and Fletcher.
Bottom line is they have just enough space for their draft picks and nothing for FA. They will have to do something with slay and Johnson to make cap space to sign a free agent.
That dead money is only incurred if they release them from the 50.3. You don’t add them to each other. I’m baffled by your inability to understand this.
I know that!!!!!!! That dead and void money are from other players. I don’t know why you can’t understand that!!!!!
Then phrasing it as “54.2 % of their cap in only 2 active players” is really goofy. The two players and the dead cap are separate things. Lumping those together is a way of manufacturing a rough outlook. You could just as easily say that right now they have a quarterback, left tackle, two pass rushers, top two receivers, and top tight end–all young and playing at a high level–for less than 20% of the cap.
Because the point went over your head a looooooong time ago. Your name says it all……..ooooof!!!!!
I’m pretty certain you’re eager to make a point, but do not in fact have one.
It was not that long ago where it was all doom and gloom with the cap crunch but somehow Howie found a way to work his way through it and get back to the SB again. I trust he’ll find a way to get the numbers to work, which undoubtedly will come with some tough decisions for team and fan favorites. Which is exactly why they need to let Miles take his talents elsewhere.