Eagles To Sign Johnathan Cyprien
The Eagles have agreed to sign Johnathan Cyprien, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). When completed, it’ll be a one-year deal for the safety. 
Cyprien visited the Eagles earlier this offseason, but left town without a deal. He’s got his shot with the Eagles now, however, and an opportunity to reestablish himself after missing all of last season with a torn ACL.
Cyprien was a starter for four years with the Jaguars before joining the Titans in 2017. After an injury-shortened ten-game campaign in his first year, he finished out his time on the sidelines. In March, Tennessee bailed midway through his four-year, $25MM free agent deal.
With the Eagles, Cyprien could see time at his usual strong safety spot, but mostly projects as a depth addition who can also chip in at linebacker. Malcolm Jenkins, of course, will be the club’s starter at SS.
Orlando Scandrick Contract Details
- Cornerback Orlando Scandrick‘s deal with the Eagles is for one year and $1.12MM, reports Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link). Scandrick will collect a $1.03MM base salary and can earn up to $90K in per-game roster bonuses. Cre’Von LeBlanc, Philadelphia’s primary nickel corner in 2018, recently suffered a foot sprain and could be out of action for awhile, so the 32-year-old Scandrick could have an opportunity to slide into the team’s starting lineup.
Contract Details: Sproles, Kendricks, Hawks
A look at the details on recent deals from around the NFL:
- Darren Sproles, RB (Eagles): One year, $1.33MM. $600K fully guaranteed, including a $300K signing bonus. $650K in performance bonuses, classified as NLTBE incentives, exist in Sproles’ contract for a Pro Bowl appearance and unspecified yardage totals, Adam Caplan of Sirius XM Radio tweets.
- Lance Kendricks, TE (Patriots): One year, $1.02MM. Kendricks’ $50K signing bonus represents this deal’s only guarantees. If he makes the team, he will earn a $930K veteran minimum base salary. Kendricks, who can also earn $40K worth of per-game roster bonuses, will count $735K toward New England’s cap, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets.
- Earl Mitchell, DT (Seahawks): One year, $930K. $90K signing bonus. Mitchell will carry a $735K cap number, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com notes.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/27/19
Today’s minor transactions:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: RB A.J. Ouellette
- Waived: OT Ka’John Armstrong
Denver Broncos
- Signed: TE Moral Stephens
- Waived: P Justin Vogel
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers from Bengals: RB Darrin Hall
- Waived: OG Larry Williams
Houston Texans
- Waived: S A.J. Hendy
- Waived/injured: WR Isaac Whitney
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Amba Etta-Tawo
Philadelphia Eagles:
- Waived: DT Anthony Rush
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DL Jordan Thompson
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Jawuan Johnson
Tennesse Titans
- Signed: DB Jonathan Crawford
Eagles To Sign Orlando Scandrick
The Eagles are adding some secondary depth. Philadelphia is signing veteran cornerback Orlando Scandrick, a source told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).
As Garafolo points out, the back-half of the Eagles’ defense is a bit banged up at the moment, so the move makes some sense. We hadn’t heard anything about Scandrick all offseason, and then suddenly his market started heating up. He worked out for the Vikings a few days ago, and we heard earlier this morning he was visiting Philly. The Eagles apparently liked what they saw enough to offer the 32-year-old a contract.
After playing the first ten years of his career with the Cowboys, Scandrick signed a two-year, $10MM deal with the Redskins last offseason. He didn’t even make it out of camp with them before he was released, and he was then scooped up by the Chiefs. He played out the year in Kansas City’s league-worst secondary, making seven starts.
Eagles corners Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby both haven’t been cleared to play yet, so Scandrick will get plenty of reps in camp for the time being. In an ideal world, he won’t have to play much once the regular season starts. Injuries have sapped most of Scandrick’s effectiveness, and he can’t be counted on to play a large role anymore.
CB Orlando Scandrick To Visit Eagles
After working out for the Vikings earlier this week, cornerback Orlando Scandrick is now heading to Philly. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweets that the Eagles will be hosting the veteran on a visit today.
The Eagles are certainly familiar with the defensive back, as the veteran had a 10-year stint with the division-rival Cowboys. Scandrick inked a two-year, $10MM deal with the Redskins last offseason. However, the defensive back didn’t even make it through the preseason, and he was scooped up by the Chiefs after being released by Washington.
Scandrick ultimately appeared in 15 games (seven starts) for Kansas City, compiling 44 tackles, 13 passes defended, and an interception. While his counting stats were solid, the Chiefs secondary was not. Kansas City finished the season as one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL, allowing 4,374 yards and 30 touchdowns.
Considering the 32-year-old’s drop in production, there’s a good chance that the Eagles would only be eyeing him for a depth role. Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby haven’t been cleared to play, so Scandrick could at least provide a healthy body during the preseason.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/26/19
A batch of minor transactions on a busy day across the league:
Atlanta Falcons:
- Signed: LB Richie Brown
- Waived: OT Lanard Bonner
- Placed on IR: DL Michael Bennett
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Nick Williams
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: RB Corey Grant
Houston Texans
- Claimed off waivers from Saints: WR Chad Hansen
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: LB Drew Lewis
- Waived: LB Tre Thomas
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on IR: DE Tashawn Bower (Achilles)
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL J.J. Dielman
Philadelphia Eagles
- Claimed off waivers from 49ers: CB Alex Brown
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: OL Dillon Day
- Released: DL Cedric Thornton
Eagles Re-Sign Darren Sproles
Darren Sproles is coming back for at least one more year. The veteran is signing a one-year deal with the Eagles, the team announced on Twitter. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the deal has a base value of $1.03MM and includes a $300K signing bonus. Plus, $600K of his base pay is guaranteed.
We heard back in May that Sproles was interested in returning for one more year, but that he wanted to play with one of the teams he already had familiarity with, meaning the Chargers, Saints, and Eagles. After Sproles only played in three games due to a broken arm and torn ACL in the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning season, he said 2018 would be his last year in the league. But injuries ruined last year for him too, and he missed ten games.
All the health issues left a bad taste in his mouth, and he didn’t want to go out like that. “That’s my whole thing,” Sproles said recently when speaking to Dr. David Chao of the Pro Football Doc podcast. “I want a full year. I want to get up to top-four or top-five in all-purpose yards, like ever. Right now, I’m number six. If I would have played a full year last year, I’d be number four right now.”
Sproles will now be joining a crowded backfield in Philadelphia, with Miles Sanders, Jordan Howard, Corey Clement, and Josh Adams (among others) already in tow. In a tweet, Tim McManus of ESPN.com writes that the “coaching staff had been keeping door open for [Sproles].” He might not play quite as big of a role as he did in the past, but Sproles will still be a valuable change-of-pace back who can catch passes well out of the backfield, and he’ll be a nice veteran presence in a mostly young group.
Now Sproles will get the chance to go out with the full 16-game season that he wants, as well as to climb the all-purpose yards leaderboards. He’s 36 now, but he’s still been pretty good when he’s been healthy the last couple of years. Last year, Sproles carried the ball 29 times for 120 yards and a touchdown, and he dded 15 receptions for 160 yards and two touchdowns. He also returned ten punts for 83 yards.
Adams, Smallwood Eagles Cut Candidates?
- Jordan Howard, Miles Sanders and Corey Clement will be on the Eagles‘ 53-man roster, leaving recent draft picks Wendell Smallwood, Josh Adams and Donnel Pumphrey in danger of the waiver wire. Despite the Eagles investing in each of these players out of college, Saints 2018 sixth-round pick Boston Scott looks like the early favorite to be the Eagles’ fourth running back, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia writes. Possessing a Darren Sproles-type physique at 5-foot-6 and 203 pounds, Scott has yet to take a regular-season handoff. But his experience as a punt returner may give him the edge, per Zangaro. Adams (511 yards) and Smallwood (364) were Philadelphia’s two leading rushers last season.
- The Giants will join the Eagles in having a project offensive lineman in camp. After Philly drafted tackle Jordan Mailata in last year’s seventh round, the Giants signed college shot putter Austin Droogsma. The Giants signed Droogsma, who last played football as a high-schooler 2012, in May and will try the 6-4, 345-pound track convert as a guard, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com notes. While at Florida State, Droogsma won the 2018 ACC indoor and outdoor titles and finished both seasons as an All-American. Mailata, a rugby standout, spent most of last season on the Eagles’ practice squad; the Giants’ P-squad would seem like the best-case scenario for Droogsma in 2019.