Details On Mike Wallace Contract With Eagles
- Mike Wallace‘s one-year deal with the Eagles is worth $1.92MM in guaranteed money and he can make up to $2.09MM with incentives, per Sheil Kapadia of The Athletic (on Twitter). Wallace got a signing bonus of $1MM and will make $915K in base salary.
Eagles Expect To Keep Nick Foles
This offseason, the Eagles set a sky high asking price for Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles. Weeks later, it sounds like the quarterback is staying put. Head coach Doug Pederson says it’s “safe to say” that Foles will be with Philadelphia for the start of the 2018 season (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Sal Paolantonio). 
The Eagles were reportedly seeking a package greater than the first- and fourth-round picks they received from the Vikings in the Sam Bradford trade. There were a number of teams looking for a starting quarterback this year, but it appears that none of them were willing to meet that price. Even though the Eagles were faced with a cap crunch this year, they have found a way to retain Foles at his cap number of $7.6MM to return as Carson Wentz‘s backup.
Of course, at this point, every team in the league either is either set at the quarterback position or has their sights set on a top signal caller in this year’s draft. It would be hard to imagine a Foles trade materializing in March or April, but it’s conceivable that something could surface if a contending team loses their starter to injury in the summer.
Eagles Rumors: Bennett, Sproles, Celek
Eagles defensive end Michael Bennett appeared before a Texas judge on Monday afternoon following a felony charge of injury to the elderly related to an alleged incident at NRG Stadium following the Super Bowl, as ESPN.com’s Tim McManus tweets. Bond had been set at $10K and he will be permitted to travel between his home in Hawaii and the Houston area for court appearances. For more on the incident, click here.
Here’s the latest on the defending champs:
- Running back Darren Sproles, who is a free agent, could still be a part of the Eagles’ plans in 2018. “He’s expressed he wants to be back here. He knows we want him back here. Yeah, heck yeah,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said when asked about Sproles at the owners’ meetings (via Jeff McLane of the Inquirer). “He’s a big part of our team. Punt returner. He was a tremendous back, third-down guy. Yeah, so we’ll see where that falls out.”
- The Eagles like this year’s tight end draft class and are likely to add one in April, but Pederson didn’t rule out a Brent Celek return. “I think that’s a player you’d consider bringing back, especially if you weren’t able to fit all the pieces together at the spot. So he’s definitely in that conversation,” (Twitter link via Zach Berman of the Inquirer). Celek was released earlier this month in order to save $4MM against the cap, but it sounds like the Eagles would be open to a reunion at a lesser rate.
Eagles DE Chris Long To Play In 2018
Despite rumors that he’d been considering retirement, Eagles defensive end Chris Long plans to continue his career in 2018, according to Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (Twitter link).
Long reportedly signed a new deal with Philadelphia last week, leading to speculation that he would indeed return for the upcoming campaign. Long is now guaranteed $3MM in 2018, and his base salary will increase from a non-guaranteed $1MM to $2.5MM guaranteed. Additionally, the Eagles eliminated Long’s $750K in per-game roster bonuses and $750K in incentives.
Philadelphia has revamped its defensive line this offseason, as the club added Michael Bennett and Haloti Ngata while losing Vinny Curry and Beau Allen. Bennett, though, is scheduled to turn himself into authorities on Monday after being indicted on a felony charge, so Long’s presence will be all the more important if Bennett is handed a league-imposed suspension.
Long, 32, appeared in all 16 games and saw roughly 50% playtime for the Super Bowl champion Eagles last season. In that time, Long managed 20 tackles and five sacks while grading as the NFL’s No. 30 edge defender among 106 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
Michael Bennett To Turn Himself In; More Details On Indictment
New Eagles defensive end Michael Bennett, who has been indicted on the felony charge of injury to the elderly — which is punishable by up to ten years in prison and/or a $10K fine — is expected to turn himself in tomorrow, per Tom Schad and A.J. Perez of USA Today. Bennett is represented by Rusty Hardin, the well-known Houston defense attorney who has represented Roger Clemens and other high-profile clients. Per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Hardin indicated that Bennett is currently out of the continental United States and that, as he has not yet met his client, he will refrain from speaking on his behalf at this time.
Once Bennett turns himself in, more specifics will begin to emerge. As of right now, we have the press release from the Harris County District Attorney’s Office noting that Bennett has been indicted, a few details from various sources, and a whole host of unanswered questions.
Zack Rosenblatt of NJ Advance Media took a look at some of those questions yesterday, most of which pertained to the on-field ramifications of the incident (i.e. will the Eagles release Bennett, will they make any precautionary moves to shore up the defensive line, etc.). Today, one of Rosenblatt’s colleagues at NJ Advance Media, Eliot Shorr-Parks, examines the curiosities surrounding the case and sets forth his opinion as to why the Harris County DA will have a difficult time proving its case.
For instance, despite witnessing the alleged assault, a police officer at the scene did not attempt to arrest Bennett and instead allowed him on the field. According to Houston Chief Police officer Art Acevedo, speaking at a press conference on Friday, that was because Bennett was much larger than the officer at the scene, who was operating as a “one-man unit,” and because the officer needed to continue to monitor his area and did not perceive Bennett to be an additional threat to anyone else. Nonetheless, Shorr-Parks wonders why Bennett was not arrested after the post-game commotion if the incident was serious enough to warrant an indictment.
Shorr-Parks also observes that there is no video of the incident, which could certainly complicate matters for the prosecution. He also wonders why the case sat for three months before it was assigned to a detective, and why it took roughly five months from the time the last interview was conducted during the police department’s investigation — with the NRG stadium security manager in October 2017 — to the issuance of the arrest warrant. Finally, he sees Acevedo’s personal attacks against Bennett — Acevedo called Bennett “morally bankrupt” during his press conference — as another red flag.
The police department and DA, of course, have answers for all of those questions, and since it has procured the indictment, it is unlikely the DA will simply dismiss the case without a fight. And regardless of the ultimate outcome, McLane writes that Bennett, always a polarizing figure, has already become a major distraction for the defending Super Bowl champs. Eagles brass will doubtlessly have to answer questions concerning Bennett during league meetings in Orlando this week, but McLane believes the team may have to ride out the storm with him instead of cutting him loose (though Philadelphia could release him and save $5.65MM in cap space without incurring any dead money).
Eagles Never Got Offer They Liked For Nick Foles
The Eagles had placed a hefty asking price on Nick Foles going into the offseason. It was reported that they were seeking at least a first- and fourth-round pick. Apparently, the Eagles never got an offer that made them feel close to dealing the reigning Super Bowl MVP. 
Eagles head coach Doug Pederson helped shed some light on the situation surrounding Foles’ status while speaking to Steve Wyche of the NFL Network on Saturday at the NFL Annual Meeting in Orlando.
“Nothing too crazy. It had to be the right deal for us to do that,” Pederson said to Wyche. “But there wasn’t anything coming down our way for Nick.”
While speaking to Wyche, Pederson also said the Carson Wentz is “ahead of schedule” in his rehab from a torn ACL. Wentz was well on his way to serious MVP consideration before sustaining the injury in Week 14 against the Rams.
Foles will once again be relegated to the backup role once Wentz resumes duty. Pederson indicated that didn’t seem to be an issue for the 29-year-old Foles.
“He’s totally fine being that mentor, sort of in that backup role, helping Carson along the way,” Pederson continued. “That’s who Nick is. That’s who he is. And when called upon, he’s going to perform, but he understands this is Carson’s team and he’s going to support him every way he can.”
The Cardinals had reportedly sent in a call to the Eagles regarding Foles around the time they struck a deal with Sam Bradford. It was also reported in early March that an AFC team offered a second-round pick in exchange for Foles.
Latest On Michael Bennett Indictment
Zack Rosenblatt of NJ Advance Media looks at 10 unanswered questions stemming from the indictment of Eagles defensive end Michael Bennett, including whether the Eagles and Seahawks already knew, when the NFL found out and how it impacts his roster status with the Eagles.
If the Eagles were to release Bennett, they’d save $5.65MM in cap space, without any dead cap. Rosenblatt points out that veteran leadership in the Eagles defense with players like Malcolm Jenkins could help fight off any off-field distractions that stem from the incident. It’s also possible the Eagles could make a precautionary move to add a defensive end, with Vinny Curry already released and signed with the Buccaneers. Chris Long reportedly signed a new deal to remain with the Eagles in 2018 earlier this week.
- While being introduced to the Philadelphia media, Mike Wallace said that playing with Carson Wentz was “99 percent” of the reason he signed with the Eagles, per Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Wallace also said he passed up other offers that would’ve netted him more money in signing his one-year deal with the Eagles.
Eagles DE Michael Bennett Indicted On Felony Charge
The district attorney for Harris County, Texas has indicted Eagles defensive lineman Michael Bennett on a felony charge after he reportedly injured a 66-year-old paraplegic while attempting to gain field access during Super Bowl LI, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who adds a warrant has been issued for Bennett’s arrest.
The NFL is “looking into” Bennett’s indictment, a league spokesperson told Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com (on Twitter).
Bennett, of course, was traded from Seattle to Philadelphia earlier this month, and the Eagles apparently did not know this indictment was coming down, tweets Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. While details are sparse at the moment, Bennett could be subject to an NFL-imposed suspension regardless of the legal outcome.
Bennett, a three-time Pro Bowler, is scheduled to suit up for an Eagles defensive line that also includes Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Haloti Ngata, Derek Barnett, and Chris Long. He’s under contract through 2020, although Philadelphia could exit the deal without any penalty.
Eagles To Sign WR Mike Wallace
The Eagles have agreed to a one-year deal with free agent wide receiver Mike Wallace, according to Peter Schrager of NFL.com (Twitter link). The pact is worth $2.5MM and contains incentives, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, and the maximum value of the contract is $4MM, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
In Wallace, Philadelphia has found a replacement for Torrey Smith, whom the club dealt to the Panthers in exchange for cornerback Daryl Worley earlier this month. Not only does Wallace represent an upgrade over Smith, but he’s also cheaper, as Smith was scheduled to earn a $5MM base salary in 2018. That level of savings is critical for the Eagles, who are among the most cap-strapped teams in the NFL.
Wallace, 32, will now join the fifth club of his pro career after spending the past two seasons with the Ravens. In 15 games (14 starts) in 2017, Wallace hauled in 52 receptions for 748 yards and four touchdowns. While those numbers were a bit lower than his career averages, Wallace managed 72 catches and 1,000+ yards just one year prior.
With the Eagles, Wallace will now join an offense that not only boasts a more talented quarterback than do the Ravens, but a more enviable offensive corps in total. Wallace will catch passes from MVP contender Carson Wentz, and he’ll be surrounded by skill position players such as Alshon Jeffery, Zach Ertz, Mack Hollins, Jay Ajayi, and Corey Clement.
Baltimore, for its part, reportedly didn’t publicly rule out a reunion with Wallace, but their free agent machinations said otherwise. Not only did the Ravens sign both John Brown and Michael Crabtree, but they’ve met with restricted free agents Cameron Meredith and Willie Snead in recent days.
Chris Long Signs New Deal With Eagles
Chris Long has yet to address the retirement rumors surrounding him, but the latest word indicates that he’s planning to play in 2018. Long signed the new contract that was offered to him last week, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). 
As previously reported, the new deal guarantees Long $3MM in 2018 and includes a jump in base salary from a non-guaranteed $1MM to $2.5MM guaranteed. In theory, Long can still retire after signing the new deal, but his signature on the dotted line suggests that he intends to play.
The Eagles’ recent acquisition of Michael Bennett means that Long would be ticketed for a reserve role, but he also hasn’t been a full time starter in the last three seasons. And, with his 33rd birthday coming up on Monday, a limited snap count probably suits him well. If he continues to play, Long will be behind starters Brandon Graham and Bennett while last year’s first round pick Derek Barnett also participates in the rotation.
Long was on the field for 588 regular season snaps last year, down from 677 in the previous season with the Patriots.