Eagles, Packers Eyeing Malik Jackson
The Jaguars dumped Malik Jackson last week, but the defensive tackle won’t be out of work for long. Jackson is in advanced negotiations with both the Packers and Eagles, Mike Florio of PFT (on Twitter) hears. Those two clubs are Jackson’s “primary options,” but there could be other clubs in on the veteran. 
Jackson had three years to go on the six-year, $85.5MM contract he inked with the Jaguars in 2016, but the Jags cut him to save $11MM against the cap. They tried to find a suitable trade for Jackson, but were unable to find a team willing to take on his contract and forfeit anything of value.
Jackson didn’t miss a single game during his time with the Jaguars and even earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2017. However, he took a step back in 2018 and was benched late in the season in favor of Taven Bryan. Jackson finished the season with 32 tackles and 3.5 sacks, with Pro Football Focus ranking him just 85th among 112 interior defenders.
The Packers have been looking for a defensive line upgrade and Jackson could be a strong value add. Meanwhile, the Eagles are looking to fortify their D-Line in the wake of the Michael Bennett trade.
Buccaneers Shopping DeSean Jackson
The Buccaneers have been actively shopping DeSean Jackson for a trade, according to ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine. Laine also hears the Eagles would be a preferred destination for the wide receiver. 
The Bucs, naturally, would prefer to trade Jackson rather than releasing him outright. Jackson, meanwhile, would rather be released than traded. The veteran is under contract for one more season at a $10MM cap number, but that sum is completely non-guaranteed, so Jackson would rather start a negotiation from scratch while hand-picking his next team. Apparently, if Jackson had his druthers, he’d reunite with the Eagles.
The Eagles’ level of interest in trading for Jackson is not quite clear, but they would be a logical destination for the wide receiver since they need a deep threat. Last year, they thought they had a suitable deep threat in Mike Wallace, but their offense was limited after Wallace suffered a broken leg in September.
Jackson asked for a trade during the 2018 season and struggled to stay on the same page as Jameis Winston. And, although his 774 receiving yards marked an improvement from his disappointing 2017 showing, Jackson’s best games came when Ryan Fitzpatrick was throwing. The Bucs are committed to Winston for 2019, which will be Jackson’s 12th NFL season.
NFC East Notes: Giants, Cowboys, Eagles
The Eagles did their due diligence on Antonio Brown before their in-state rival elected to ship him to Oakland, but Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com believes Philadelphia should “absolutely” pursue Brown’s soon-to-be former teammate, Le’Veon Bell. There have been rumors linking Bell to the Eagles this offseason, and Shorr-Parks sums it up thusly: “[T]he Eagles’ biggest need is running back. Bell is the best one available. They have the money to sign him, and they have a quarterback that needs him.”
The Brown saga appears to be wrapped up, and the Bell story will have a new chapter this week, when the talented back finds a new home. As we look ahead to free agency, let’s round up a few other NFC East items:
- The slot receiver market may be among the interesting to watch when free agency opens on Wednesday, tweets Mike Garafolo of NFL.com. Teams like the Cowboys, Redskins, and Eagles, who are expected to respectively lose Cole Beasley, Jamison Crowder, and Golden Tate, shouldb be in line to target new slot options. Additionally, clubs such as the Colts, Raiders, Lions, Titans, and Bills are also searching for inside weapons, per Garfolo.
- Given all of the needs they have, and their relatively modest amount of cap room, the Giants are likely to make a few ripples in the pool of free agent talent rather than a major splash, as Paul Schwartz of the New York Post opines. The team needs to fortify a few positions (like strong safety and cornerback) so that they do not have to reach for a particular position in the draft.
- Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv lauds the Giants‘ return in the recent Olivier Vernon trade, but he wonders how it will impact the rest of the team’s offseason. For instance, although free agency is loaded with quality pass rushers, Big Blue will not able to afford even a second-tier option if it wants to adequately address all of its needs, and it now becomes more possible that the Giants will take a pass rusher with the No. 6 overall pick (which would certainly upset plenty of Giants fans if Kyler Murray or Dwayne Haskins is still on the board).
Fallout From Antonio Brown Trade
Now that the Raiders have agreed to acquire Antonio Brown from the Steelers, you can be sure that more news about the deal (and the deals that were discussed, but never came to be), will be trickling in. We will monitor the AB fallout here throughout the course of the day, as the football world continues to process the conclusion of the biggest storyline of the offseason:
- The Eagles did discuss Brown with the Steelers, but as ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets, those talks never got serious. Instead, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh were simply doing their due diligence.
- Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com suggests it was the new contract that Brown was demanding, rather than the draft picks, that scared the Eagles away (Twitter link).
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter) agrees with Shorr-Parks’ theory, saying that plenty of teams were willing to give up the third- and fifth-round picks that ultimately got the job done, but the Raiders were the only team that was willing to tear up Brown’s existing contract and give him a new one.
- Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that the Bills were willing to swap 2019 first-round picks with the Steelers (No. 9 for No. 20) and trade away two mid-round picks, but it was Brown’s contract demands that proved to be the undoing of that potential deal.
- La Canfora adds in a separate tweet that the Redskins were still engaged with the Steelers after the Bills deal fell through earlier in the week, but it is unclear how serious the Pittsburgh-Washington talks became.
- Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com concedes that the Raiders easily got the better of the Steelers in this trade, but he reviews what Pittsburgh’s options were, and none of them were good (Twitter link). The Steelers could have cut Brown and received no trade compensation — which also would have allowed Brown to sign with any team he wanted, including a major conference rival — or they could have kept him, fined him when he didn’t report to camp, and hoped that he wouldn’t retire because he would have had to pay back $11MM if he did so.
- Fowler also passes along a couple of Raiders-related notes in a separate tweet. A source close to Brown said the wideout was excited about joining the Raiders in part because of the presence of head coach Jon Gruden and quarterback Derek Carr. Brown is also intrigued by the Raiders’ collection of high draft picks and young talent, and Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther — who had to devise many a game plan for Brown when he was the Bengals’ DC — strongly endorsed Brown’s game.
- Plenty of people have been wondering why the Steelers didn’t demand one of the Raiders‘ three first-round draft picks before agreeing to deal Brown to Oakland, and NFL Insider Adam Caplan says the Raiders simply refused to do so (Twitter link). Although the Raiders would of course have preferred to give up one draft choice instead of two, the club was adamant about holding onto its three first-rounders and one second-rounder.
- Although the Steelers‘ $21.12MM cap hit that they will have to absorb for Brown in 2019 is a killer, the trade does save the club $15MM in cash that can now be spent on other players, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk observes.
- Brown’s contract with the Raiders has set a new benchmark for players like Julio Jones, Tyreek Hill, and Michael Thomas, who will all cash in shortly.
- Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com takes an excellent in-depth look at the saga and what it means for both teams.
NFC East Notes: Giants, Cowboys, Brown
With Landon Collins and Olivier Vernon out of the picture, the Giants‘ defense has plenty of needs. Second-year GM Dave Gettleman has also jettisoned Jason Pierre-Paul, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Eli Apple and Damon Harrison from the team since taking over. Collins’ reputation as a box safety, albeit one of the best in the NFL, looks to have played into the Giants’ reasoning for refusing to use an $11MM-plus franchise tag on him, with Ralph Vacchiano of SNY noting the team did not always believe the All-Pro defender was an adequate cover man. Gettleman considered the contracts handed out to both Pierre-Paul and Harrison as onerous, and Vacchiano adds neither Pro Bowl player was viewed as a plus locker room presence. That said, the Giants have one of the least talented defenses in the NFL, boasting deficiencies at nearly every spot going into free agency. It would seem that would be where Gettleman looks to improve in the next two months.
Here is more out of the Big Apple and the latest from the NFC East:
- While the Giants already have two monster contracts on their offensive line now, having acquired Kevin Zeitler‘s $12MM-AAV deal, they are going to pursue a right tackle in free agency. Big Blue will “almost certainly” add a right tackle on the market, per Vacchiano, who adds former Gettleman draftee Daryl Williams may be a top target. Williams was a fourth-round Gettleman pick in 2015 but is coming off an injury-nullified season. The Giants tried to sign former Gettleman find Andrew Norwell last year, so Williams will be a name to monitor in the coming days.
- Sean Lee‘s Cowboys restructure will slash his 2019 salary from $7MM to $3.5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Although Lee has seen younger linebackers replace him as Dallas’ go-to second-level defenders, the Cowboys will keep the veteran around. One season remains on Lee’s contract.
- If the Raiders are now the team to beat regarding Antonio Brown, the Eagles should not be completely discounted. Philadelphia is the other destination CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora is hearing in the Brown sweepstakes as of Saturday (Twitter link). The Eagles have been hard at work clearing cap space; they are north of $24MM now — before Michael Bennett‘s $6.2MM salary comes off their books. It would be interesting to see the team clear so much off its roster to add a player who has produced so much drama, but the Eagles have not been averse to splash moves in recent years.
- Connected to a safety upgrade for many months, the Cowboys may opt to seek second-tier options at this position. Extensions for their homegrown standouts may price the Cowboys out of the high-end safeties on this year’s market, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. The Cowboys remain connected to Earl Thomas, and Richard Sherman said recently his former teammate would choose Dallas if the offers were equal. Another report confirmed no discount was coming. But they may well not end up being equal, complicating this long-rumored partnership. But plenty of safety help will be available next week.
Eagles To Trade Michael Bennett To Patriots
The Eagles are trading defensive end Michael Bennett to the Patriots, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). Philadelphia will acquire a 2020 fifth-round pick while New England will receive Bennett and a 2020 seventh-rounder, tweets McLane.
Philadelphia acquired Bennett for a fifth-round pick last year. The Pats attempted to land Bennett from the Seahawks last year; they will make the move a year later, in advance of the versatile defensive lineman’s age-34 season.
Lately, we’ve heard that the Eagles were planning to trade or release Bennett to improve their cap situation. Usually, when a talented player is involved, teams will ask that player to accept a pay cut. On Friday morning, Bennett went on national television to explain that he would not entertain such an offer. In fact, he made it known that he is expecting a raise from his $7.2MM salary for 2019.
It’s not immediately clear whether the Patriots will accommodate his request. Given their track record, it seems unlikely.
In any event, the Patriots have successfully safeguarded themselves against the potential loss of Trey Flowers. Flowers projects as one of the most highly-coveted free agents when the market opens up on Thursday and the Pats are not expected to outbid the competition.
In Bennett, the Patriots acquired a skilled sack artist, albeit one who is several years older than Flowers. Last year, Bennett amassed nine sacks for Philly, giving him his highest total since 2015. The three-time Pro Bowler has 63 career sacks to his name across nine NFL seasons.
Eagles’ Michael Bennett Wants Pay Raise
The Eagles can trade or release Michael Bennett this offseason without incurring a dead money hit, which may give them leverage in restructuring talks. However, the defensive lineman isn’t on board with that plan. If anything, Bennett says, he wants a pay increase regardless of where he winds up. 
“You’re always caught off guard whenever your name is brought up in the trade blocks, or being traded, but you understand that people want to acquire your services and we’re in a tough situation as far as the salary cap,” Bennett told NFL Network. “But I’m not willing to take a pay cut. I actually want a pay raise at this point, and so whatever happens just to know that whatever team I go to I want to get paid more than I get paid right now.”
Under his current deal, Bennett is slated to earn $7.2MM from Philly this season. The Eagles, meanwhile, would prefer to move him to a team desperate for pass rush help and add to their draft pick arsenal. Trading or releasing Bennett would also help their cap situation – the Eagles have less than $18MM in cap room, which is way behind this year’s clubhouse leaders.
For his part, Bennett says he’d like to stay in Philadelphia, but doesn’t know what the future holds.
“Well, I don’t know what’s happening with the Eagles,” Bennett said. “Of course you always want to be with the team that you play with. At the same time, we all know it’s a business, and we want to be able to make money whenever you get the opportunities. And I feel like if you’re on the trading block, it’s just a part of the game. But at the same time, I still know that I’m one of the best players in the NFL. You look at statistically last year, quarterback hits, TFLs, and with how I approach the game I love football and whatever team I’m on, I’m going to take that same attitude and go out there and be a nasty player and try to dominate on the defensive line and be the best teammate and the best player that I can possibly be.”
Contract Details: Smith, Kelce, Johnson
Let’s take a look at the details of a few recently-signed contracts from around the NFL:
- Donovan Smith, T (Buccaneers): Three years, $41.25MM. $27MM fully guaranteed. Guaranteed 2019 base salary of $7MM with a $5.5MM roster bonus. Guaranteed $14.5MM base salary in 2020. Non-guaranteed $14.25MM base salary in 2021. $5MM of 2019 salary deferred until 6/15/20. $3MM of 2020 salary deferred until 3/5/21. Deferrals have no impact on salary cap (Twitter link via Dan Graziano of ESPN.com).
- Jason Kelce, C (Eagles): Extended through 2021. $7.57MM signing bonus. 2019 base salary reduced from $6.5MM to $930K. 2020 base salary reduced from $7MM to $1.5MM with a $2MM roster bonus. $500K playing time escalator available in 2020 for playing 90% of offensive snaps. 2021 base salary of $5.5MM (Twitter links via Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia).
- Denzelle Good, OL (Raiders): Extended through 2019. One-year, $1.7MM. $500K signing bonus. $200K per-game roster bonuses. $100K workout bonus. $1.2MM available via playtime incentives (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review Journal).
- Lane Johnson, T (Eagles): Restructured contract. Created $8.2MM in cap space by converting $10.045MM of his 2019 base salary into a signing bonus. Base salary is now $805K (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). Added voidable years in 2022-23 (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer).
- Mike Person, OL (49ers): Three years, $8.25MM. $2.45MM fully guaranteed. $1MM roster bonus, $1.45MM fully guaranteed 2019 base salary. $250K in per-game roster bonuses (Twitter link via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com).
- Romeo Okwara, DE (Lions): Two years, $6.8MM. $2.705MM signing bonus. 2019 base salary of $720K fully guaranteed. $500 workout bonus in 2019 (Twitter link via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com).
Latest On Potential Michael Bennett Trade
Although the Eagles are open to trading defensive lineman Michael Bennett, it doesn’t appear the club is desperate to move on from the veteran. Instead, Philadelphia is exploring its options with Bennett after much of the league’s free agent-to-be pass-rushing talent was removed from the market via franchise tags earlier this week, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com.
Six players received the franchise tender ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, and five of those players are adept at getting after the quarterback. With Grady Jarrett (Falcons), Dee Ford (Chiefs), DeMarcus Lawrence (Cowboys), Jadeveon Clowney (Texans), and Frank Clark (Seahawks) now off the board, the Eagles are — perhaps rightly — guessing they could accrue draft capital in exchange for Bennett via the trade market.
Bennett was traded to Philadelphia exactly one year ago today, with the Eagles shipping a fifth-round pick and receiver Marcus Johnson to Seattle in exchange for Bennett and a seventh-rounder. While, Bennett posted nearly identical production with the Eagles in 2018 as he did with the Seahawks in 2017, he did so on roughly 200 fewer defensive snaps. Factor in that he’s now a year older, and it’s unclear if Philadelphia would be able to top what it originally gave up to Seattle in acquiring Bennett.
As Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported earlier this week, Bennett wasn’t pleased about becoming a reserve to begin last season, but he likely wouldn’t enter the 2019 season as a starter, either, as the Eagles recently re-signed Brandon Graham to a three-year deal and plan to deploy former first-round pick Derek Barnett as their other defensive starter. Bennett could still see plenty of snaps — especially given his ability to slide to tackle in passing situations — but his discontent is a situation to monitor.
Additionally, while Philadelphia isn’t as cap-strapped as it once was following the decision not to franchise tag Nick Foles and restructured contracts for offensive linemen Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce, the Eagles aren’t exactly overflowing with funds, ranking in the bottom half of the NFL with roughly $18.6MM in cap space. Trading Bennett would clear $7.2MM off the Eagles’ books, and the club wouldn’t incur any dead money by dealing him.
Eagles Restructure Lane Johnson’s Deal
The Eagles have restructured Lane Johnson‘s contract for cap purposes, a source tells Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (on Twitter). Details on the new deal are not yet known. 
Johnson, 29 in May, also restructured his deal with the Eagles roughly one year ago. After earning his second straight Pro Bowl appearance in 2018, the Eagles are happy to keep him in the fold.
Johnson was tied for No. 12 (with Alejandro Villanueva of the Steelers) on Pro Football Focus’ rankings for offensive tackles last season. The 78.1 overall score was technically his lowest since 2013, but it was still a fine showing in terms of the advanced metrics and more or less consistent with his previous work.
The biggest blip on Johnson’s career was a ten-game ban for performance enhancing drugs in 2016. Johnson, who was suspended as a repeat offender, said the ’16 test was the result of an NFLPA-approved supplement. He took action against both the league and the union in 2017.