Eagles QB Nick Foles Open To Trade?
The reigning Super Bowl MVP is set to serve as a backup next season. Nick Foles is alright with that, but he sounds like he wouldn’t be opposed to a trade either. 
“We love Philly. I know there was some stuff going around, a possible trade, and I would love the opportunity to be a starter again. I know my spot in Philly. I think I’ve shown what I can do,” Foles told KVUE in Texas. “I’m signed for one more year and I love the team, I love the city. I’m excited for Carson [Wentz] to get back on his feet. I’ll be ready to go whenever they need me. But we’ll see. Just living in the moment.”
The Eagles were reportedly seeking at least a first- and fourth-round pick for Foles this offseason, but that kind of deal never materialized. In late March, head coach Doug Pederson pretty much put the kibosh on any trade talk.
It would be surprising to see the Eagles move Foles at this juncture, but they pulled off a similar move in 2016 when they dealt Sam Bradford to the Vikings in September of 2016. The Eagles value Foles and want to keep him on board in the event that Wentz gets injured again, but it’s possible that a contender will blow them away with an offer in the event of an injury to a starting QB.
Eagles Waive CB Daryl Worley
The Eagles have waived cornerback Daryl Worley following his early morning arrest, the club announced.
Worley was arrested in the Philadelphia around 6am Sunday morning following an altercation with police. Authorities reportedly found Worley unconscious in a car that was blocking a highway, and were forced to taser the 23-year-old after he became combative. A firearm was also located at the scene of the incident.
Worley’s stay with the Eagles will end up lasting just over one month, as general manager Howie Roseman & Co. acquired Worley from the Panthers in March in exchange for receiver Torrey Smith. That trade was widely viewed as a Philadelphia win, as the club picked up a young defensive back while shipping out a high-priced pass-catcher who likely would have been released.
While no depth chart had been set in stone, Worley would have competed to become a starting cornerback for the Eagles in 2018. Last season, Worley played roughly three-quarters of Carolina’s defensive snaps but graded as just the No. 89 corner among 121 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. However, the former third-round pick did rank a respectable 28th in Football Outsiders‘ success rate.
The Eagles are currently expected to deploy Ronald Darby and Jalen Mills as their top two defensive backs during the upcoming season, while 2017 second-rounder Sidney Jones — who is recovering from a torn Achilles — could also factor into the starting lineup. Rasul Douglas, De’Vante Bausby, and D.J. Killings comprise the rest of Philadelphia’s positional depth.
Worley, 23, had two years remaining on his rookie contract. Because he was a trade acquisition, the Eagles already weren’t responsible for any of Worley’s prorate bonus money. None of his base salaries were guaranteed, so Philadelphia will save $670K by cutting ties Worley.
Given that he is not a vested veteran, Worley will now go through the NFL’s waiver protocol. He’s unlikely to be claimed, however, given his recent episode with police and the fact that he could be facing a league-imposed suspension.
Eagles CB Daryl Worley Arrested
New Eagles cornerback Daryl Worley was arrested in Philadelphia at around 6am this morning, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). As Rapoport notes in a separate tweet, Worley was passed out inside a vehicle that was blocking a highway. When police arrived, Worley became combative with them and was ultimately tasered. A gun was recovered at the scene.
Philadelphia acquired Worley earlier this offseason in a trade that sent wide receiver Torrey Smith to the Panthers. Smith, who was far from productive in his first and only season with the Eagles, had a $5MM option that Philadelphia was widely expected to decline, which would have made him a free agent. However, they managed to swing a trade for him, and Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that Worley’s track record of bad behavior is what allowed them to do so. Indeed, Worley pleaded no contest to misdemeanor assault while in college, and McLane says that the West Virginia product had a “rep” in Carolina as well.
Last season, Worley’s second in the league, he appeared in 15 games for the Panthers and started all but one of those contests. He tallied 63 tackles, one sack, and ten passes defensed. He also started Carolina’s lone playoff game last season, registering six tackles and a pass defensed in the team’s loss to the Saints in the wild card round. The advanced metrics did not love his work, though; he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 89 ranked cornerback last season.
The team is aware of the arrest and noted that it is still in the process of gathering information (Twitter link). Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets it is likely, though not certain, that Philadelphia will release Worley, and that discussions are still ongoing. Bowen adds in a separate tweet that Worley’s arrest makes it much less likely that the team trades fellow corner Ronald Darby prior to the draft, which was looking like a real possibility.
The Panthers selected Worley in the third round of the 2016 draft. He grew up in the Philadelphia area, and per McLane (via Twitter), he was specifically asked at his introductory news conference if playing in his hometown would create unnecessary distractions. The Eagles, at least, certainly have a distraction on their hands to go along with the Michael Bennett drama.
Bryant Would Have Been Open To Pay Cut
The Cowboys dominated the Friday NFL news cycle by releasing Dez Bryant and doing so without offering the acclaimed wide receiver a chance to stay with the team at a reduced rate. That move may have been amendable to Bryant, despite the receiver’s previous comments not appearing to indicate as such.
A first-time free agent, Bryant said in an interview with the NFL Network’s Jane Slater (Twitter link) he would have accepted a pay cut if the Cowboys offered. Dallas did not offer to keep Bryant on a lesser salary. The 29-year-old wideout expected the team to propose a pay cut. While it’s unclear how much of a salary reduction Bryant would have accepted, the Cowboys weren’t interested and made the odd decision to release their all-time leader in touchdown receptions more than a month into free agency.
As part of the five-year, $70MM extension he signed just before the 2015 franchise tag deadline, Bryant was scheduled to make $12.5MM in base salary and comprise $16.5MM of Dallas’ cap this season.
The juncture of this cut came largely because Jerry Jones has long had an affinity for the mercurial pass-catcher, and it took convincing for the team’s top decision-maker to sign off on a release, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link).
“Jerry Jones, he loved me to death, and I loved him too,” Bryant told Slater. “I honestly believe in my heart that this was a hard decision for him. But when it’s five, six guys at a table against one guy, you got to do it.”
Bryant is not making it a secret he’d like to join one of the Cowboys’ top rivals, but ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen reports (on Twitter) a landing in Philadelphia, Washington or New York does not look especially promising at the moment. The Redskins are not believed to be interested in the ninth-year player.
“Being in the division is a huge possibility it’s something that I want,” Bryant said in the interview (Twitter link). “It’s personal. I’m tired of being the scapegoat and I’m going to keep proving that on and off the field.”
It will obviously be more difficult for Bryant to command the type of money he could have had the Cowboys made this move a month ago, but he’s likely to generate some interest soon.
Contract Details: Landry, Wallace, RG3
Here’s the latest from some the recently agreed-upon contracts around the NFL.
- Jarvis Landry‘s five-year, $75.5MM Browns contract will come with $34MM fully guaranteed, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link). This figure, which is a tad less than Landry likely would have earned if he was franchise-tagged twice, places Landry fifth among wideouts. The $47MM in total guarantees are third all-time, behind only DeAndre Hopkins and Mike Evans.
- Another wideout has a somewhat bizarre clause in his Eagles deal. The defending Super Bowl champions will pay Mike Wallace an additional $585K if he weighs less than 250 pounds when they open their offseason program on Monday, Field Yates of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Wallace signed a one-year deal with a base value of $1.9MM, so Monday — barring an alarming discovery — will presumably be a nice bonus for the veteran deep threat.
- The only guaranteed money in Robert Griffin III‘s one-year, $1.1MM deal with the Ravens is a $100K signing bonus, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
NFL Draft Rumors: Patriots, Key, 49ers
After losing Nate Solder in free agency, the Patriots are on the lookout for offensive tackle help. With that in mind, the Patriots hosted Texas tackle Connor Williams on a visit on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Thanks to the Brandin Cooks trade earlier this offseason, the Pats are armed with two picks late in the first round. Williams could be available when the Pats are called to the podium at No. 23, though the league-wide need for tackles could result in the 6’6″ lineman going higher.
Here’s the latest batch of NFL draft news:
- LSU outside linebacker/defensive end Arden Key worked out for the 49ers on Wednesday and will move on to the Raiders on Thursday, Rapoport tweets.
- South Dakota State tight end Dallas Goedert, who could be the first tight end to come off of the board, visited the Dolphins on Wednesday, Rapoport tweets. Miami is reportedly high on him, but he has also met with the Seahawks, Chargers, and Lions, according to Rapoport. As previously reported, the Vikings met with Goedert last week.
- Cornerback Isaiah Oliver has had workouts/visits with the Eagles, Falcons, Bears, Texans, 49ers, Cardinals, Panthers, Patriots, Saints, Broncos, and Cowboys, sources tell Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Miller personally believes that he would be a great fit for Arizona. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah has Oliver ranked as the 36th best prospect in this year’s draft and it would be no surprise to see him go in the first round.
- Georgia running back Nick Chubb will visit with the Buccaneers on Wednesday, according to Josh Norris of NBC Sports (on Twitter). Chubb has been lauded for his power and ability to run on the inside and figures to be a second round pick.
- The Lions hosted Auburn running back Kerryon Johnson for a visit on Tuesday, Rapoport tweets. Johnson was recently bumped from Jeremiah’s top 50 but should still garner consideration in the second round.
Future In Flux For Eagles' Ajayi
What does the future hold for Eagles running back Jay Ajayi? Beyond the 2018 season, that’s a tough question to answer, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia writes.
The Dolphins gave up on Ajayi, in part, because of a long-term chronic knee injury. The running back closed out 2017 strong for Philly, but the Eagles will have to figure out what kind of offer to make to him if he turns in a big year.
Contract Details: Patriots, Matthews, Eagles
Some details on recent free agent deals:
- Jordan Matthews’ one-year deal with the Patriots is worth $1MM with $170K guaranteed, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe tweets. The deal includes an $90K guaranteed, a modest $790K salary, and a $130K offseason workout bonus. Matthews was hampered by injuries in 2017, but prior to that, he had three strong seasons with the Eagles, so he could prove to be a major value signing for New England.
- New Eagles tight end Richard Rodgers signed a one-year deal worth $880K with $245K fully guaranteed, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM tweets.
- Joe Webb‘s one-year deal with the Texans is for the minimum salary, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets. With his salary at the league’s floor, it could negate him as an unrestricted free agent loss for the Bills and hurt their chance at scoring a compensatory pick.
Eagles Inquired About Maclin Reunion
- Jeremy Maclin is without a team for the second time in two years. One of the wide receiver’s former employers did some work on him recently, however. The Eagles inquired on the nine-year veteran, per Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter), adding the Cowboys did the same. However, both have signed other wideouts. The Eagles added Mike Wallace, and the Cowboys signed both Allen Hurns and Deonte Thompson. Maclin played for the Eagles from 2009-14 before signing with the Chiefs. The Chiefs and Ravens cut him in consecutive offseasons. He will turn 30 next month. Anderson adds Maclin is currently training in Baltimore and Philadelphia.
Courtland Sutton To Visit Eagles
- Courtland Sutton has already visited the Cowboys and will add another NFC East team to his meetings itinerary Tuesday. The SMU wide receiver will meet with the Eagles in Philadelphia, Geoff Mosher of 97.5 The Fan reports (on Twitter). New Eagles WRs coach Gunter Brewer spent time with Sutton at the Mustangs’ pro day, Mosher tweets.