Eagles Working On Brandon Graham Extension
The Eagles are working on a new deal for defensive end Brandon Graham, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Graham has racked up six sacks this season — his career-high is 6.5 — and he currently ranks as the fifth-best edge defender in the league (out of 112 qualified players) per Pro Football Focus.
Graham is still under club control through 2018 as a result of the four-year, $26.5MM deal he inked in 2015, a deal that looks like a bargain now. Despite some rumblings that he would hold out of training camp this summer, he never did so and firmly indicated that he never planned to hold out. Nonetheless, the Eagles did add incentives to his current deal in August and now it seems they are prepared to reward him even more.
Philadelphia, of course, is 9-1 and is on the short list of Super Bowl favorites. The team also has a history of being aggressive in locking up key members of its roster, even late in the season (the Eagles signed Timmy Jernigan to a lucrative multi-year deal several weeks ago).
As La Canfora notes, Graham is something of a late-bloomer, but he has thrived under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and his impact goes far beyond his raw sack totals. He is a key cog in the club’s defensive success, and GM Howie Roseman is ready to pay him accordingly. La Canfora does say that the two sides have a fairly large gap to bridge, but the team’s interest in getting something done soon is genuine.
Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com (Twitter link) says that if Graham and the Eagles can agree to terms, his extension would likely lower his cap hit for 2018 (currently $7.5MM) to free up some space. After all, as Shorr-Parks observes in a separate piece, the cap hits for Jernigan’s new contract are out, and they are significant.
Eagles Want To Retain Alshon Jeffery
- Doug Pederson was quoted as saying the Eagles would love to retain Alshon Jeffery. But the second-year Philadelphia HC stopped short of saying Jeffery was certain to return. “Alshon’s a guy that you’d love to have continue to work with Carson (Wentz) and have around, and I think it’s a good dynamic to have, and have that stability,” Pederson said, via the Chicago Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley. “If things work out and we can retain him, it would be great for the chemistry of the offense, and, obviously, those two guys working together in the future.” As of now, Jeffery and Jarvis Landry look to be the top receivers on the 2018 market.
Bradham Next In Line For Extension?
- The Eagles are the best team in the NFL right now, and are in the process of deciding which of their building blocks to lock up for the long haul. The team already agreed to a contract extension with Timmy Jernigan earlier in the month and now may be turning their attention to linebacker Nigel Bradham, opines Jeff McLane of The Inquirer. A former fourth round pick back in 2012, the 28-year-old leads the team in tackles with 56 and ranks as the 33rd best linebacker in football, according to Pro Football Focus. The Eagles have 13 players heading for unrestricted free agency after the season, so they’ll definitely have to make some tough decisions regarding who they want to build around and who they’re willing to let go.
Barnett Making The Eagles Look Smart Again
The Eagles have had many stars in their journey towards the top of the NFL this season, and one of those players has been rookie defensive end Derek Barnett. The team’s first round pick this past May has given Philadelphia another dominant pass rusher outside of Brandon Graham and has made the front office look even better, opines Geoff Mosher of the FanRags Sports Network.
Mosher points out that Barnett was viewed as the “safe” pick when the Eagles were selecting in the middle of the first round. He states that flashier draftees that the Eagles passed on, like running back Dalvin Cook, defensive end Jonathan Allen and linebacker Reuben Foster, have all had injury problems, making the choice to select Tennessee’s all-time sack leader even more brilliant.
At the moment, Barnett is simply a pass rushing specialist coming off the bench, but has already racked up 4.5 games even without getting the majority of the snaps. He trails team leader Brandon Graham by just 1.5 sacks with six weeks left to play. Barnett may not have been the sexy choice at the time, but he’s making the Eagles decision makers look even smarter because of what he’s adding to an already outstanding roster.
NFL Workout Updates: 11/14/17
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:
Chicago Bears
- QB Taylor Heinicke; WRs Demarcus Ayers, Canaan Severin, Paul Turner; G Darrell Greene (link)
Cincinnati Bengals
- T Laurence Gibson (link)
Detroit Lions
- DE Armonty Bryant; LB Max Valles; S Duke Ihenacho (link)
Houston Texans
- TEs Brandon Barnes, Gabe Holmes (link)
Indianapolis Colts
- QB Tyler Ferguson; RBs Ka’Deem Carey, Dare Ogunbowale, Juwan Thompson; WRs Dres Anderson, Isaac Fruechte, Alonzo Moore, Tim Patrick (link)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- LSs Ryan DiSalvo, Andrew East, Drew Ferris (link)
New Orleans Saints
New York Giants
- Ks Andrew Franks, Jason Myers (link)
Philadelphia Eagles
- OL Jeremiah Poutasi (link)
San Francisco 49ers
- G Jake Eldrenkamp; C Anthony Fabiano (link)
Seattle Seahawks
- LBs Boseko Lokombo, Jason Thompson (link)
Washington Redskins
- S Lorenzo Jerome (link)
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/14/17
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed off Browns‘ practice squad: RB Terrence Magee
- Waived: LB Jermaine Grace
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DT Deandre Coleman
- Waived: DT Jerel Worthy
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed off Falcons‘ practice squad: RB Brian Hill
- Waived: LB Hardy Nickerson
Denver Broncos
- Waived: LB Kasim Edebali
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Jace Billingsley, DE George Johnson
- Waived: WR Jared Abbrederis, DE Jacquies Smith
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: LS Brett Goode
- Waived: LS Derek Hart
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LS Colin Holba
- Placed on injured reserve: LS Matt Overton
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: T Taylor Hart
Washington Redskins
- Signed: DL Caraun Reid, LB Zach Vigil
- Waived: DL Brandon Banks
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/14/17
Today’s practice squad updates:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: QB Garrett Grayson
- Waived: K Mike Meyer
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: CB Sojourn Shelton
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: FB Ricky Ortiz
- Waived: G Jason King
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR Dres Anderson
- Waived: WR KeVonn Mabon
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DT Rickey Hatley
- Waived: T Nick Becton, WR Amba Etta-Tawo
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: S Jack Tocho
- Waived: G Willie Beavers
New York Giants
- Signed: T Nick Becton
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: S Harold Jones-Quartey
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: OL Cameron Hunt
- Placed on injured list: OL J.P. Flynn
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: S Alex Carter, LB P.J. Dawson, CB Trovon Reed
- Placed on injured list: CB Akeem King
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Freddie Martino
- Waived: DE Patrick Gamble, CB David Rivers
Washington Redskins
- Waived: DE Tavaris Barnes
Eagles To Sign OT Will Beatty
Will Beatty is back in the NFC East. The former Giants offensive lineman has agreed to a one-year deal with the Eagles, according to Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). 
Beatty was one of the league’s better left tackles in 2014, grading out both as a quality run-blocker and pass-blocker, according to Pro Football Focus. In that season, PFF ranked him 14th overall out of 84 qualified tackles. Unfortunately, a pectoral injury cost him the entire 2015 campaign. And, in 2016, Beatty appeared in only six games.
This year, he worked out for the Jets, Saints, and, most recently, the 49ers, but did not sign with any of those clubs. The Eagles are now going to find out what the veteran has left in the tank.
The Eagles’ offensive line recently suffered a big blow when Jason Peters suffered a season-ending knee injury. Halapoulivaati Vaitai is now the starter at left tackle with Lane Johnson on the opposite site. Beatty figures to serve as bench support for both players along with reserve Taylor Hart.
Beatty, a second-round pick in the 2009 draft, spent eight years with the G-Men, including his lost 2015 season.
Redskins Sign RB Byron Marshall
The Redskins have bolstered their running backs group by plucking one from their rival. Washington is signing Byron Marshall off of the Eagles’ practice squad, a source tells Master Tesfatsion of The Washington Post. 
Marshall comes to the Redskins at a time when they badly need depth at running back. Starter Robert Kelley is dealing with multiple injuries to his left knee and is expected to miss a few weeks, leaving rookie Samaje Perine and pass-catching specialist Chris Thompson as the team’s only healthy RBs. Marshall not only has a good chance to dress, but he could actually get some chances to carry the ball.
Marshall first came to the Eagles as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon in 2016. He was on the Eagles’ active roster for the final few games of last season and ran for 64 yards off of 19 attempts and hauled in three catches for ten yards. The 23-year-old hasn’t seen a ton of time on the field, but coaches have spoken highly of him in Philly.
Before signing Marshall, the Redskins also considered Ronnie Hillman and Daryl Richardson. Both veterans will have to continue to look for work elsewhere.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/13/17
Today’s minor moves:
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: CB Dexter McDougle
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: WR Freddie Martino