Details On Stefen Wisniewski's Deal
- Eagles center/guard Stefen Wisniewski‘s one-year deal is worth $1.5MM with $250K fully guaranteed, according to Caplan (Twitter link). That’s a solid value for Philadelphia given Wisniewski’s experience and versatility. Before circling pack to the Eagles, Wisniewski also garnered interest from the Vikings and Jets.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/22/19
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: WR Malachi Dupre
Buffalo Bills
- Claimed off waivers: T De’Ondre Wesley
- Signed: TE Mik’Quan Deane
- Waived: T Blake Hance, S Abraham Wallace
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: T Justin Evans
- Waived: TE Andrew Vollert
Kansas City Chiefs
- Re-signed: DB Dakari Monroe
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: T Justice Powers
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: LB Darrell Williams
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: T Casey Tucker
Malcolm Jenkins To Skip Eagles' OTAs
- Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins isn’t attending his team’s OTAs, tweets NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter points out on Twitter, the absence is notable because Jenkins is “one of the NFL’s most-respected players.” The defensive back is presumably seeking a new contract, although his current deal doesn’t expire until the end of the 2020 season. Jenkins’ $8.75MM average annual salary still ranks in the top-10 at the position. The 31-year-old earned his third Pro Bowl nod last season.
- Chris Long played alongside a number of talented defensive linemen with the Eagles this past season, leading to him appearing in a modest 59.1% of the team’s defensive plays. The veteran acknowledged that his diminishing role played a part in his decision to retire. “Philadelphia is where I wanted to play a couple more years,” Long told Peter King of Football Morning in America. “I love Philadelphia. But as a player I learned the most important thing to me is Sunday, and having a chance to be a big part of it. It seemed like player-coach was kind of the role that was going to be carved out for me—maybe playing 10, 12, 15 plays a game. I’m a rhythm player. I need to set people up, I need to be in the flow of the game. If I sit on the bench for three series, I can’t get rhythm, and I’ll get cold and maybe I’ll hurt myself. Some people think that’s great—play less and you won’t get hurt. Man, I want to play ball. In Philadelphia, it didn’t seem there was much of a chance to compete there. But they were honest with me the whole time. I appreciate the honesty.”
[SOURCE LINK]
Latest On Eagles’ Carson Wentz
Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz is progressing well from his back injury and sources say he has no limitations for on-field drills heading into the start of OTAs, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. The Eagles will be cautious with Wentz when things get underway on Tuesday, but he is expected to be involved in the majority of drills. 
Wentz has been unable to stay healthy the past couple of seasons, but the Eagles are all in-on the young QB after allowing Nick Foles to leave for the Jaguars. The 26-year-old was playing at an elite level in 2017 before tearing his ACL and LCL but was unable to really build off of that thanks to back problems in 2018.
Despite the health complications, the Eagles are already discussing an extension with Wentz that would take him beyond his fifth-year option season in 2020. That’s yet another sign that the Eagles believe in the long-term outlook of their franchise QB.
For his career, Wentz owns a 23-17 record, including an 11-2 mark in the 2017 season. Last year, Wentz completed a career-high 69.6% of his throws and threw for 21 touchdowns against seven interceptions in eleven games.
Eagles Notes: Long, FAs, Jenkins
Let’s round up several notes from the city of Brotherly Love:
- DE Chris Long called it a career yesterday, and he apparently made his intentions quite clear to the team all along. Per Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Long had been in touch with the Eagles all offseason and had told them to not count on his coming back (Twitter link).
- Long played on over half of the Eagles’ defensive snaps last season, and he may have elected to return in 2019 if the team could have assured him of a similar role. However, per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter), the Eagles could not guarantee Long that his role would not be reduced, which apparently made his decision easier. Geoff Mosher of 97.3 ESPN hears the same (Twitter link).
- In a separate tweet, Mosher suggests that the team is unlikely to acquire a veteran defensive end to replace Long. The Eagles have already brought back Vinny Curry this offseason, and they added Penn State defensive end Shareef Miller in the fourth round of the 2019 draft.
- Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com believes that Malcolm Jenkins‘ absence from team workouts this offseason is indeed contract-related, and Shorr-Parks believes that Jenkins is justified in demanding more money. He goes on to say that a new deal for Jenkins should be the Eagles’ top priority right now.
- We learned yesterday that the Eagles and quarterback Carson Wentz are discussing an extension.
Chris Long Announces Retirement
After debating it last season, defensive end Chris Long has finally decided to call it a career. The veteran pass-rusher posted a tweet announcing his retirement from the NFL.
“Cheers. Been a hell of a journey. Eleven years and I can honestly say I put my soul into every minute of it. Highs and lows. I’ve seen them both and I appreciate the perspective. Gratitude and love to those who lifted me up,” he wrote. Long is the second significant retirement today, after offensive lineman Travis Swanson decided to hang up his cleats earlier Saturday.
Soon after Long’s announcement, the Eagles released a statement of their own on Twitter, congratulating Long on his career. The second overall pick back in 2008, Long had a very solid career. His contributions off the field might end up surpassing anything he accomplished on it, as Long won the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award this past season, and donated his entire 2017 salary to educational charities.
A two-time Super Bowl winner, Long won back to back championships with the Patriots in 2016 and Eagles in 2017. Long spent the first eight years of his career with the Rams, before signing with New England as a free agent. He never did make a Pro Bowl, but he had several Pro Bowl caliber seasons.
In 2011 he had 13 sacks, and he followed it up with 11.5 the next year. In 13 games for the Eagles this past season, all starts, he had 6.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. The son of Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long and brother of Bears offensive lineman Kyle Long, he’ll finish his career with 70 sacks and 14 forced fumbles. After losing Long to retirement and trading away Michael Bennett to the Patriots, the Eagles’ pass-rushing group will be a little thin next season.
The Virginia product has been flirting with retirement for a while now, and at the beginning of this month the Eagles agreed to push back a roster bonus date so he could have more time to decide. All of us at PFR wish Long and his family the best as he transitions into a new chapter.
Eagles, Carson Wentz Talking Extension
It’s going to be time for the 2016 draft class to start thinking about their next deals pretty soon. Anyone drafted in the second round or later is heading into the final year of their deal, while first-rounders still have their fifth-year options for 2020. A lot of the top players from 2016 will be inked to extensions soon, and it sounds like Carson Wentz could be taken care of in the near future. 
“My belief is that deal will get done at some point this offseason,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said recently of a new pact between Wentz and the Eagles, per Tim McManus of ESPN.com. Schefter reports that the “two sides have begun talking” and that “both sides are motivated to get it done.” Schefter also cautions that nothing is particularly close, but that everyone thinks it’s going to get done this summer.
Interestingly, that’s in stark contrast to how the Rams are playing things with Jared Goff, the quarterback who went one spot ahead of Wentz in the draft. We heard in late March that Los Angeles hadn’t talked extension with Goff yet, and it didn’t seem like they were in any rush to do so.
Wentz has been unable to stay healthy the past couple of seasons, but the team is obviously all-in on him. They let Nick Foles walk in free agency, so it’s not like they have much of a choice. It’ll be very interesting to see what Wentz gets in the context of the quarterback market.
He was playing at an MVP-level before tearing his ACL and LCL in 2017, but he does have a troubling injury history. His camp isn’t going to take a discount however, and he’ll likely want to break the bank while resetting the market once again. Philly’s division rival, the Cowboys, are getting ready to pay Dak Prescott, and it’ll be fascinating to see how the two deals compare.
Jets Eyeing Joe Douglas As GM?
On Wednesday afternoon, the Jets shocked the football world by firing GM Mike Maccagnan. For now, head coach Adam Gase will serve as the team’s interim GM, but he might not hold that title for long. The Jets have their eyes set on Eagles Vice President of Player Personnel Joe Douglas, two league sources tell Eliot Shorr-Parks of WIP (on Twitter).
It’s not clear whether the Jets have asked the Eagles for permission to interview Douglas, but that doesn’t matter much. Because the move would mark a clear career advancement, the Eagles would not have the ability to prevent Douglas from accepting the job.
Douglas has been with the Eagles since May of 2016, which coincided with Howie Roseman‘s return to power. Douglas had a big hand in assembling the team that won the Super Bowl following the 2017 season, giving him the pedigree to be a leading contender for Gang Green.
It remains to be seen whether Douglas would jump at the job. On one hand, the Jets are loaded with young talent, including quarterback Sam Darnold, running back Le’Veon Bell, safety Jamal Adams, and defensive linemen Leonard Williams and Quinnen Williams. On the other hand, the timing of Maccagnan’s dismissal indicates that there is some serious dysfunction in East Rutherford.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/14/19
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Houston Texans
- Released: LB Dexter Wright
New York Giants
- Waived/Injured: DB Jacob Thieneman
- Waived: K Joey Slye
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: G Johnny Gibson
- Waived: WR Dorren Miller
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: WR Devin Ross
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/13/19
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Dontae Strickland
- Waived: CB Ryan Pulley, TE Jerome Washington
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: QB Jalan McClendon, G Patrick Vahe
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: S Abraham Wallace, OL Garrett McGhin, DT Quindarius Thagard
- Released: TE Jake Fisher, RB Keith Ford
Chicago Bears
- Bears Signed: WR Jesper Horsted
- Waived: G Tommy Doles
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: RB L.J. Scott
- Released: RB Devante Mays
Denver Broncos
- Signed: TE Bug Howard, OL Nathan Jacobson, DL Deyon Sizer, DL DeShawn Williams
- Released: TE Temarrick Hemingway, DL Caushaud Lyons, OL Brian Wallace, DL Jaylen Johnson
New York Giants
- Re-Signed: DL John Jenkins
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: RB Nico Evans, QB Luis Perez
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: TE Parker Hesse, WR Cody Hollister