Eagles Pursued Tevin Coleman
Eagles top personnel executive Howie Roseman‘s track record with respect to expenditures for, and evaluation of, running backs is not a strong one, which we discussed a bit last week. Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, in reviewing that track record again, said that the Eagles did go after a running back in the first wave of free agency this year, but for some reason they fell short in their pursuit.
McLane reports that Philadelphia had targeted former Falcons running back Tevin Coleman, whom running backs coach Duce Staley said was the best back on the market (even though the market also included Le’Veon Bell and Mark Ingram). Coleman, though, ultimately signed a modest two-year pact with the 49ers, and McLane is unsure as to why Roseman was unable to close the deal. Coleman may have preferred to reunite with Kyle Shanahan, the former Falcons OC who is now San Francisco’s head coach, but Roseman had the money and the playing time opportunity to entice Coleman.
Now, Philadelphia still needs to upgrade the position, which is probably the weakest on the roster. McLane suggests that the club could look to trade for the Bears’ Jordan Howard or the Browns’ Duke Johnson, though he questions how willing Roseman would be to give up even a late-round draft pick for backs that are available for a reason (plus, while the team does not necessarily need a lead runner in the traditional sense, Johnson is an imperfect fit given that he is better as a receiver than as a running back).
Similarly, McLane does not believe the remaining backs on the free agent market — currently headed by T.J. Yeldon and Isaiah Crowell — are legitimate targets for Roseman. He thinks the Eagles, who have two picks in the second round and two in the fourth, could use one of those selections on an RB, especially given that this year’s draft class of running backs offers plenty of talent in the middle rounds. But given Roseman’s past, even that is far from a sure thing.
Contract Details: Vaccaro, Callahan, Okafor
Let’s take a look at the details of a few recently-signed NFL contracts, with all links going to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle’s Twitter account:
- Kenny Vaccaro, S (Titans): Four years, $24MM. $11.5MM guaranteed. $6MM signing bonus. $500K annual playtime, playoffs incentives (link).
- Bryce Callahan, CB (Broncos): Three years, $21MM. $10MM guaranteed. $4MM signing bonus (link).
- Alex Okafor, DE (Chiefs): Three years, $18MM. $8.805MM guaranteed. $6MM signing bonus. $2MM annual sack, playtime incentives (link).
- John Miller, G (Bengals): Four years, $16.5MM. $6.5MM guaranteed. $4MM signing bonus (link).
- K.J. Wright, LB (Seahawks): Two years, $14MM. $6.5MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus. $1.5MM playtime escalator in 2020 (link).
- Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB (Dolphins): Two years, $11MM. $7MM guaranteed. Up to $5MM via 2020 escalator (link).
- Darius Philon, DT (Cardinals): Two years, $10MM. $5MM guaranteed. $4MM signing bonus. $700K available annually via playtime and sack incentives. $600K playtime escalator in 2020 (link).
- Geoff Swaim, TE (Jaguars): Two years, $6.6MM. $1.25MM guaranteed. $500K signing bonus. $500K playtime, catches, yards, incentive in 2019 (link).
- Ronald Darby, CB (Eagles): One year, $6.5MM. $4.5MM guaranteed. $3.5MM signing bonus. $2MM available via playtime, playoff, and Pro Bowl incentive. Contract contains four void years from 2020-2023 (link).
- Luke Stocker, TE (Falcons): Two years, $5.5MM. $1.5MM signing bonus. Pro Bowl escalator in 2020 (link).
- Zach Kerr, DT (Broncos): Two years, $5MM. $600K signing bonus. $500K annual playtime incentive (link).
- Mike Pennel, DT (Patriots): Two years, $5MM. $500K signing bonus. $1.5MM annual playtime incentive (link).
- Mario Edwards, DL (Saints): Two years, $4.7MM. $950K signing bonus. $816K sack incentive in 2019. $816K salary escalator in 2020 (link).
- John Simon, DE (Patriots): Two years, $4.15MM. $1.65MM guaranteed. $700K signing bonus. $1.5MM annual playtime incentive (link).
- Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S (Bears): One year, $3MM. $500K signing bonus. $500K playtime, Pro Bowl incentive (link).
- Chandler Catanzaro, K (Jets): One year, $2.3MM. $600K guaranteed. $500K signing bonus. $500K field goal percentage incentive (link).
- Adrian Phillips, S (Chargers): One year, $2MM. $1.25MM guaranteed. $500K signing bonus. $500K playtime, Pro Bowl incentive (link).
- Bashaud Breeland, CB (Chiefs): One year, $2MM. $1.15MM signing bonus. $3MM playtime, Pro Bowl incentive (link).
- Trevor Siemian, QB (Jets): One year, $2MM. $1MM guaranteed. $750K signing bonus. $1MM available via playtime and team performance incentives (link).
- LaAdrian Waddle, T (Bills): One year, $2MM. $400K signing bonus. $500K playtime incentive (link).
- Max Garcia, G (Cardinals): One year, $2MM. $400K signing bonus. $1MM playtime incentive (link).
- Ryan Allen, P (Patriots): One year, $1.5MM. $100K signing bonus. $50K Pro Bowl incentive (link).
Eagles To Sign Vinny Curry
Vinny Curry is on his way back to Philadelphia. The Eagles are nearing a deal with the defensive end, as Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. It’s a one-year deal worth $2.25M with an additional $1.25M of upside based on incentives, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears (via Twitter).
Up until last year, Curry spent his whole career (2012-2017) with the Eagles. Last year, he joined the Bucs on three-year deal, but that contract was terminated when he became a cap casualty in February.
Last year, Curry tallied 21 tackles, 2.5 sacks, seven quarterback hits, and five tackles for a loss, numbers that don’t exactly jump off of the page. However, he was effective at generating pressure with the Eagles in 2017 and started in every game, including the team’s Super Bowl victory, so he could be a difference-maker in Philly.
This time around, Curry projects to come off of the bench in support of starters Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett. He’ll be especially important to the rotation if Chris Long opts to retire.
Before agreeing to sign with the Eagles, Curry visited the Bengals and drew interest from the Giants.
Five Teams Interested In C/G Brett Jones
Since losing interior lineman Nick Easton to the Saints, the Vikings have ramped up their efforts to re-sign center/guard Brett Jones, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press hears (on Twitter), adding that he expects a contract offer to come soon. However, the Vikings will have competition for his services. 
The Seahawks, Jets, Eagles, and Chiefs are also looking at the soon-to-be 28-year-old, Tomasson hears. Jones, who earned $2.914MM under the one-year restricted free agent tender assigned to him by the Giants, is likely in line for a pay raise.
Last year, Jones appeared in 14 games and came off of the bench for eleven of those contests. His 191 snaps were not enough to qualify for a Pro Football Focus ranking, but he was a top 20 center for the Giants in 2017.
Eagles To Sign Andrew Sendejo
Free agent safety Andrew Sendejo has agreed to sign with the Eagles, sources tell Peter Schrager of NFL.com (on Twitter). When finalized, it’ll be a one-year deal for the Eagles and the former Vikings safety. 
Sendejo, 32 in September, had his 2019 option declined by the Vikings last week. The move was largely expected after the veteran lost much of the 2018 season to a groin injury. After Sendejo went down in Week 5, the Vikings’ defense actually improved, though it’s impossible to say whether that was coincidental. In his wake, the Vikings used Anthony Harris, George Iloka, and Jayron Kearse to hold down the fort.
The Vikings prevented Sendejo from hitting the open market in 2016 with a four-year, $16MM deal. After the Vikes rejected the final year of his deal, he’ll try to reestablish himself in Philadelphia.
Eagles’ Haloti Ngata Retires From NFL
After 13 years in the NFL, Haloti Ngata is calling it a career. On Monday morning, Ngata took to Instagram to bid farewell to the Eagles and the game he loves. 
“Just a man standing on top of the world with a heart full of gratitude,” Ngata wrote. “Thank you Lord for letting me play the game I love for 13 unforgettable years. I’m retiring on top. I might be finished playing football, but I’m holding tight to the friendships, memories and wisdom I’ve gained along the way.”
Ngata 35, enjoyed a long run as one of the league’s most feared defensive linemen. Over the course of his 13-year career, Ngata earned five Pro Bowl nods, two First-Team All-Pro selections, and captured a Super Bowl ring with the Ravens.
Last year, Ngata was initially set for a fill-in role with Philly, but he wound up seeing more snaps than expected while Tim Jernigan was sidelined. His final year ended with 17 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. He ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 55th best interior defender – a respectable placement for an aging veteran.
Ngata will be missed by the Eagles, though the recent addition of Malik Jackson and the continued presence of Fletcher Cox should offset the loss. It’s also likely that the Eagles will target defensive tackle help in the draft.
Will Eagles Use High Draft Choice On RB?
- Eagles top personnel executive Howie Roseman has made it abundantly clear that he does not value the running back position, as Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com observes. Roseman has invested neither top dollar nor top draft capital in running backs, and that remains an area of glaring need at the moment. But since Roseman has built a strong offense and a roster that is in win-now mode, and since he has again avoided the free agent market for running backs, one has to think that he will use one of his three picks in the first two rounds of the 2019 draft to add some talent to the offensive backfield.
Contract Details: Jackson, Verrett, Roberts, Williams, Paulsen
Some assorted contract details from around the NFL:
- Malik Jackson, DT (Eagles): Five years, $50MM, $17MM guaranteed. $9MM signing bonus, $1MM 2019 salary guaranteed. $7.6MM salary in 2020, $4.6MM of which is guaranteed. Base salaries of $9MM, $10MM, and $11MM in 2021-2023. Twitter link via Dan Graziano of ESPN.com.
- Jason Verrett, CB (49ers): One year, cap charge of $1.5MM. $1.1MM salary of which $600K is guaranteed, plus $400K signing bonus. Verrett “can earn up to $3 million for the season if he is active for all 16 games. It’s $31,250 per game on 53-man roster (up to $500k) and an additional Roster Bonus of $62,500 per game on 46-man game day roster (up to $1 million)”. Twitter links via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com.
- Darryl Roberts, CB (Jets): Re-signed. Three years, $18MM max value, but essentially only a one year deal according to Darryl Slater of NJ.com. There’s $6MM in guaranteed money, with another $2MM of his 2020 salary guaranteed for injury only. $5MM salary in 2020, $6.5MM salary in 2021, and zero dead money in either year if they want to cut him.
- Tyrell Williams, WR (Raiders): Four years, $44MM. There was originally reported to be $22MM in guaranteed money, but that’s apparently not true. There’s only $10MM in guaranteed money in the contract, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- Logan Paulsen, TE (Falcons): Re-signed. Paulsen’s one year deal will have a base salary of $930K. Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
Eagles Re-Sign CB Ronald Darby
Ronald Darby is returning to Philly. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the 25-year-old cornerback is re-signing with the Eagles. It will be a one-year deal for Darby worth $8.5MM (via Rapoport on Twitter).
The cornerback had additional suitors, including the Chiefs, with whom he met this week. Other teams were interested in Darby as well, with Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweeting he discussed one-year and multiyear deals as well.
However, Darby decided to opt for a one-year deal with a familiar franchise as he works his way back from an ACL tear. The former second-rounder underwent surgery in November, so there’s a chance that he won’t be ready for the start of the regular season.
Darby started all nine of his appearances in 2018, compiling 43 tackles, 12 passes defended, and one interception. However, an ACL tear ended his season prematurely, forcing him to sit out the second half of the campaign. Despite his injury, Darby still earned high marks from Pro Football Focus; the site ultimately ranked him 39th among 112 eligible cornerbacks.
If Darby is forced to miss any time, the Eagles have enough depth to get by. Rasul Douglas and Jalen Mills are currently projected as the team’s starters, while the team is also rostering Sidney Jones, Cre’Von LeBlanc, and Chandon Sullivan.
Eagles Rework Chris Long’s, Nigel Bradham’s Contract
The Eagles have created a chunk of cap space. ESPN’s Field Yates tweets that the team has adjusted the contracts of defensive end Chris Long and linebacker Nigel Bradham. The move will open up about $5.032 in cap space.
Long had signed a new deal with the Eagles last offseason, but there were still whispers that the defensive end could end up calling it a career. The 33-year-old still hasn’t necessarily committed to playing, as the veteran tweeted that he’s still weighing his options.
“I love Philly so much,” Long wrote. “The fans, all of it. I’m making a football decision, though. Money moved doesn’t mean it’s been made.”
The veteran had another productive season as an Eagles reserve in 2018, compiling 23 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles in 16 games.
Bradham re-signed with the Eagles last offseason, inking a new five-year, $40MM deal with the organization. However, his one-game suspension last season voided all guarantees, which were estimated to be around $14MM. The 29-year-old has emerged as one of the Eagles’ top defenders in recent years. He had another productive season in 2018, compiling 97 tackles, two sacks, and four pass defended.
The Eagles have been relatively busy so far this offseason. The team is set to sign Malik Jackson, they traded for DeSean Jackson, and they re-signed Jason Peters.