Eagles Not Talking Jason Peters Trade
- Jason Peters plans to play in 2018, and Doug Pederson said he expects the former All-Pro left tackle to be back with the Eagles next season. JLC adds the team has made “no attempts” to trade the 36-year-old blocker thus far this offseason. Peters has a $10.6MM cap number this coming season with Philadelphia, which did not have his services for much of its first Super Bowl season. The Eagles, though, are going to need to make some decisions soon. They remain over the cap with free agency three days away.
Eagles Trade Torrey Smith To Panthers
The Panthers trading cornerback Daryl Worley to the Eagles in exchange for wide receiver Torrey Smith, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The deal will give the Eagles some cap relief while strengthening their cornerback depth. Meanwhile, the Panthers acquire a proven veteran receiver, something that ranked high on their list of needs this offseason. 
The Eagles were expected decline Smith’s $5MM option and make him a free agent, but they instead found a taker in the Panthers. Smith started 14 games during his only season in Philly, hauling in 36 receptions for 430 yards and two touchdowns. That marked an improvement over his previous season with the Niners, a year in which he missed one-quarter of the regular season games and caught just 20 passes for 267 yards and three TDs.
Smith, a 2011 second-round pick, made a name for himself in Baltimore where he topped 1,100 yards in the 2013 season and established himself as one of the league’s best deep threats. He no longer looks the part of a top-tier wide receiver, but as he proved last year, he still has some gas in the tank.
Worley appeared in 15 games and started all but one of those contests for the Panthers. He tallied 63 tackles, one sack, and ten passes defensed, but he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 89 ranked cornerback last season.
Patriots Made Best Offer For Bennett?
Michael Bennett is preparing to trek to Philadelphia and join the defending Super Bowl champions, but the Eagles’ most recent opponent made a strong push to bring the defensive end to New England.
The Patriots are believed to have made a last-ditch effort to acquire Bennett from the Seahawks, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports they did so after the team had essentially completed their deal with the Eagles.
It’s unclear precisely what the Patriots offered, but it’s believed to have been better than the fifth-round pick/Marcus Johnson package the Seahawks will receive from the Eagles. Diana Russini of ESPN reported on Wednesday a third team stalled this deal, and the Patriots — one of a few additional teams interested in Bennett — look to have been the team that did so.
However, the Seahawks did not want to go back on a verbal agreement with the Eagles. The sides finalized the trade on Tuesday morning, per Rapoport. And Martellus Bennett, whom the Patriots are cutting, was ready to reduce his salary to help make room for his brother, Rapoport reports.
“The Bennett brothers were going nuts trying to get it somehow so they could play together on the Patriots,” Rapoport said during an appearance on NFL Up to the Minute. “I know Martellus Bennett was talking about taking less salary, trying to stick around so the Patriots could then trade for his brother. … Now, from what I am told, this was basically done, a done deal between the Seahawks and Eagles. Then the Patriots came in late and said ‘Well, maybe we’ll give you this’ — a little bit better draft-pick compensation.
“The problem was the deal was basically already done. … The Seahawks are honorable people and they did the deal that was basically consummated earlier.”
So, rather than deal with their Super Bowl XLIX opponent, the Seahawks opted to send the 32-year-old defensive end to a conference team, thus denying the Bennett brothers a chance to play on the same team for the first time since their days at Texas A&M.
The Patriots did manage to increase their sack numbers last season compared to their 2016 effort, but Bennett would have provided a clear upgrade for a team that’s steadily seen some core edge components stripped.
Eagles Announce Staff Additions
- In addition to confirming Mike Groh‘s previously-reported promotion to offensive coordinator, the Eagles have announced a series of staff moves. Offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland had had “run game coordinator” added to his title, Carson Walch was promoted to assistant wide receivers coach, and Trent Miles was promoted to offensive quality control/running backs.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/7/18
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: CB Teddy Williams
Houston Texans
- Re-signed: DL Ufomba Kamalu (ERFA)
New England Patriots
- Waived: WR Bernard Reedy
Philadelphia Eagles
- T Taylor Hart (two-year deal)
Fallout From Michael Bennett Trade
The Seahawks and Eagles hammered out a major trade on Wednesday, as defensive lineman Michael Bennett will now head to Philadelphia in a deal that also included a swap of draft picks. Seattle, for their part, looks to be undergoing an overhaul on the defensive side of the ball: not only have the Seahawks made a change at coordinator, but Cliff Avril, Kam Chancellor, and — most recently — Richard Sherman are among the veterans who could be moving on. Along its defensive line, Seattle is likely betting former draft bust Dion Jordan can play a larger role in 2018, while trading Bennett will also clear cap space that could be used to re-sign defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson.
Here’s more fallout and reaction to today’s deal:
- Philadelphia wasn’t the only club interested in acquiring Bennett, as the Patriots, Browns, Buccaneers, and the previously-reported Falcons also had their eye on the veteran — and versatile — defensive lineman, tweets Dianna Russini of ESPN.com. None of the reported teams should come as complete surprises: the Patriots, for one, have landed Bennett’s brother Martellus on two separate occasions, while the Browns boast the most salary cap space and draft capital in the league. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, also reportedly discussed acquiring edge rusher Robert Quinn before Los Angeles dealt him to Miami.
- The Eagles and Seahawks first struck agreement on Tuesday morning, but a third team jumped in and the deal stalled, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). While it’s unclear what club approached Philadelphia at the last second, it would make sense if it were one of the teams listed above. By Tuesday night, it was apparent Bennett would be dealt to the Eagles, but Philadelphia’s front office was still researching the deal, per Rapoport. While this is purely speculation, it’s possible Seattle was able to wrangle a bit more compensation for Bennett given that unnamed third team’s interest.
- With Bennett now in Philadelphia, the Eagles seem incredibly likely to part ways with fellow defensive lineman Vinny Curry. More than half ($5MM of $9MM) of Curry’s 2018 base salary will become fully guaranteed on March 18, so the Eagles will likely need to make a decision on his fate before that date. While reports initially indicated Curry would be released, the Eagles are — or at least, were — working to retain Curry at a cheaper salary. Philadelphia was projected to be $10MM+ over the cap before acquiring Bennett, so it likely won’t be able to afford a luxury like Curry.
- Speaking of cap space, Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com provided a good breakdown of where the Eagles now stand following the Bennett trade, and also examined several players whom Philadelphia could cut or trade in order to comply with the cap.
Seahawks Trade Michael Bennett To Eagles
Trade alert! The Seahawks are sending defensive end Michael Bennett and a seventh-round pick to the Eagles for a fifth-round pick and wide receiver Marcus Johnson, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Facebook link). Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) first reported that Bennett was Philadelphia-bound. 
[RELATED: Seahawks To Also Part Ways With Richard Sherman?]
Bennett has been the subject of trade speculation for months now and the Falcons were among the teams to express interest in acquiring him recently. The return for him may seem underwhelming given his ability, but his market was suppressed by his contract, which still has three seasons and $26MM left.
The Seahawks’ loss is now the Eagles’ gain. Bennett didn’t have his best season in 2017, but he did earn a third Pro Bowl nod as he registered 8.5 sacks. His inside pass rush ability helped to propel Seattle to the Super Bowl in back-to-back seasons and he’ll look to do more of the same for the defending champs. The Eagles project to start a defensive line of Bennett, Cox, Derek Barnett, and Brandon Graham, and that’s as good of a D-Line as you’ll find in the NFL.
After acquiring Bennett, the Eagles may explore a potential trade of defensive end Vinny Curry, Schefter tweets. The Eagles like Curry, but his cap number for 2018 is a bit too pricey given their limited amount of room.
The Bennett deal opens up roughly $2.2MM in cap space for the Seahawks, though they’re still saddled with about $5.2MM in dead money. The trade also helped Seattle escape the $3MM bonus he was due later this month and freed them of the future seasons left on his deal. The Eagles now assume that contract, which has Bennett under control through the 2020 season.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks gain an insurance policy in the event that Paul Richardson leaves in free agency. Given the buzz surrounding him, it’s very possible that they’ll lose him on the open market. Enter Johnson, who has posted a 40-yard-dash time of 4.36 seconds in the past. He doesn’t have a stat line that comes close to Richardson (he had just five grabs for 45 yards last season), but his speed could allow him to fill a similar role in Seattle.
Eagles’ Brent Celek Wants To Keep Playing
The Eagles likely won’t be able to re-sign Trey Burton, but they’ll have the opportunity to retain another tight end. Veteran Brent Celek plans to continue playing, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Eagles Working To Keep DE Vinny Curry]
Celek, 33, is on the books for $5MM in 2018. The Eagles can save $1MM by releasing him, but they may look to restructure his contract instead, as they did in 2017. With Burton out of the picture, Celek could theoretically return as the team’s TE2, behind Zach Ertz.
Celek appeared in every game for the Eagles, both in the regular season and the playoffs. In the regular season, he caught 13 passes for 130 yards and one touchdown while largely eclipsed by Ertz and Burton. Celek has not been a big factor in the passing game in recent seasons, but he remains valuable as a blocker and mentor.
With eleven years in Philadelphia, Celek is the team’s longest-tenured player.
Eagles Hire Gunter Brewer
- The Eagles are set to hire University of North Carolina offensive coordinator Gunter Brewer as their new wide receivers coach, according to Jimmy Kempski of the Philly Voice. Brewer will take over for Mike Groh, who was recently named Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator. Brewer, who also served as the Tarheels’ receivers coach, offers an extensive collegiate résumé, as he’s made stops at Mississippi, Oklahoma State, and Marshall, among others. However, Brewer has never coached at the NFL level. He’ll now lead an Eagles receiving group that includes Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith, Nelson Agholor, and Mack Hollins, whom Brewer coached in college.
Eagles Working To Keep DE Vinny Curry
The Eagles want to keep defensive end Vinny Curry and are working to restructure that deal in order to make that happen, a source tells ESPN.com’s Tim McManus (Twitter link). As it stands, Curry is slated to count against the cap for $11MM in 2018.
The Eagles have very little wiggle room to work with this offseason. As of this writing, the Eagles are projected to be over the cap by about $9MM, so Curry will have to be a team player if he wants to stay on board.Ian Rapoport of NFL.com first reported that the Eagles could approach Curry about a reworked contract.
The Eagles could save $5MM by releasing Curry, but they’d still be left with $6MM in dead money, not to mention the task of replacing his production with limited resources. From a monetary standpoint, it would make sense for Curry to stand his ground in any talks with the Eagles. He didn’t have a gaudy stat line in 2017, but he did grade as the NFL’s No. 21 edge defender, per Pro Football Focus. Plenty of teams will line up to sign Curry if he hits the open market, particularly given the lack of quality defensive linemen in this year’s free agent crop.
In other Eagles news, the team is reportedly seeking more than a first- and fourth-round pick in a trade for quarterback Nick Foles.