Top Of Rumored Eagles CB Depth Chart A Bit Surprising
- In the Eagles‘ crowded and confusing defensive backfield, it is too early to predict who will emerge as the regular contributors. But Mark Eckel of NJ.com writes that a source with knowledge of the way DC Jim Schwartz and DB coach Cory Undlin are thinking says that, if the season started today, the top of the cornerback depth chart would look like this: Leodis McKelvin, Nolan Carroll, Jalen Mills, Ron Brooks, and Eric Rowe.
Eagles Willing To Accept Another Lean Year
- Since last season ended, the Eagles have focused more on their long-term future than immediately trying to improve on their 7-9 output in 2015, writes Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer. As a result, owner Jeffrey Lurie and the front office are ready to accept another lean year, according to Ford. That wouldn’t be an optimal outcome, but Ford opines that patience is in order for the Eagles’ fan base. “We knew that we had to get a little uncomfortable for this season and next season, really, to build something that hopefully lasts and gives us a chance at being a really good team again for a long period of time,” executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman said. Roseman made a slew of future-minded moves during the offseason – including trading up in the draft to select quarterback Carson Wentz second overall and doling out extensions to several cornerstone players.
Fallout From Fletcher Cox’s Extension
Earlier today, PFR ran down some of the initial reactions to the mammoth six-year contract extension defensive lineman Fletcher Cox signed with the Eagles on Monday. Plenty more responses have come in since, so let’s dive in…
- The Cox deal is yet another Eagles-inflicted blow to the Broncos, details Mike Klis of 9News. The Eagles hurt the Broncos’ chances to re-sign quarterback Brock Osweiler earlier this offseason when they inked Sam Bradford to a $17.5MM-per-year extension. Now Cox’s contract isn’t doing Denver any favors in its attempt to lock up star pass-rushing linebacker Von Miller, the Super Bowl 50 MVP who has amassed 60 sacks in 72 career regular-season games. The Broncos have until July 15 to sign Miller to a long-term deal. Otherwise, best-case scenario for the club: Miller will play out 2016 under the exclusive franchise tag. There have been rumblings that Miller could sit out the season if the reigning champions don’t meet his long-term demands, however. To this point, the Broncos haven’t been willing to give Miller a non-injury-guaranteed total approaching $60MM for the first three years of the six-year, $114.5MM extension they’ve offered him. The Broncos have instead offered to guarantee nearly $40MM over the first two years, and non-injury guarantees for the third year wouldn’t actually kick in until then. Cox, meanwhile, got $55.2MM in new money in the opening three years of his deal.
- Denver isn’t the only team that the Cox contract could negatively affect, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). The Panthers and Jets have standout defensive linemen Kawann Short and Muhammad Wilkerson, respectively, entering contract years, and now their price tags stand to rise even higher. The Panthers aren’t bullish enough on Short to give him Cox-type money, which will make negotiations difficult, according to Cole. The Jets hold similar feelings toward Wilkerson, so the expectation is that he doesn’t have much of a future with the team. Wilkerson is currently scheduled to play this season under the non-exclusive franchise tag, though he hasn’t signed the tender yet and isn’t a lock to report to training camp.
- Having second overall pick Carson Wentz in the fold as the prospective long-term solution under center is a luxury that enabled the Eagles to allocate bank-breaking money to Cox, opines Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Cox’s extension will kick in come 2017, which is when Wentz is expected to take over for Bradford under center. Wentz’s cap numbers from 2017-19 ($6.06MM, $7.26MM and $8.49MM) are palatable figures for a starting QB. Of course, Wentz will actually have to prove himself capable in the pros for Philly to take advantage of this situation, as the Seahawks and Colts have done in recent years with Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck, respectively.
- After former head coach Chip Kelly pushed him out of the picture last season, executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman has emphatically taken back the throne in Philadelphia, writes Marcus Hayes of the Inquirer. Cox’s extension is just the latest transaction Roseman has made this year to ensure the Eagles have a prosperous future. Along with locking up Cox, Roseman also inked Zach Ertz, Brent Celek, Lane Johnson, Vinny Curry, Malcolm Jenkins and Bradford to multiyear deals. In addition to those deals and the aggressive move to land Wentz in the draft, Roseman spent the meat of the offseason getting rid of DeMarco Murray, Byron Maxwell, Kiko Alonso, Riley Cooper and DeMeco Ryans. Roseman has put his stamp on the Eagles and erased Kelly’s influence over the franchise in the process.
Reactions To Fletcher Cox’s Deal
On Monday night, the Eagles announced that they got a multi-year deal done with standout defensive tackle Fletcher Cox. The Eagles are thrilled to have Cox locked up for years to come but, of course, it cost the team a pretty penny. Not only is Cox getting a six-year, $103MM deal – he’s coming away with $36.299MM fully guaranteed and he’s unlikely to see any less than $55.549MM in total. 
How did the Eagles do here? And what does Cox’s deal mean for other notable defensive linemen around the league? Here are some of the reactions to Cox’s payday:
- Kawann Short is surely hoping for Cox money, but the “sense inside the building” is that Panthers GM Dave Gettleman “won’t go much further than $15MM per season,” Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review writes. Short, who recorded 11 sacks in 2015, is currently scheduled to count for just $1.473MM against the 2016 cap.
- Cox did tremendously well when it comes to the guarantee and bonus structure, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap writes. The Eagles paid a hefty price to extend the defensive tackle and Fitzgerald says the Eagles would have been better off extending him a year ago when the price tag wouldn’t have been as high. Meanwhile, in terms of year-by-year cash, he doesn’t see this deal moving the market for Broncos star Von Miller.
- Mike Florio of PFT believes that Cox’s contract with help Miller in his case with the Broncos. The Broncos were previously able to chalk up deals for Ndamukong Suh and Olivier Vernon to free agency inflation. However, Cox has shown that a defensive lineman can score a similar contract without hitting the open market.
- Interestingly, a 2017 franchise tag for Cox would’ve been unusually favorable for the Eagles because he switched from defensive end to defensive tackle, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com notes (via Twitter). Defensive ends earn more on the tag and the defensive tackle number is expected to decline.
- Muhammad Wilkerson will get long-term deal like Cox, but it won’t be from the Jets, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. The door seemed pretty much closed on a monster deal for Wilkerson in New York, but that door has now been slammed shut now that Cox pushed the defensive line market even further. Cimini is personally perplexed as to why the Jets won’t pay the price to keep Wilkerson for the long term.
- Cox’s deal either confirms to Von Miller‘s camp that their position is right or raises the price for a deal – or perhaps both, Corry tweets.
- Cox showing up and beginning to bond with his Eagles coaches at minicamp was important for this deal getting done, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
- Given the rapidly rising cost of defensive linemen, Fitzgerald (on Twitter) believes that the Patriots made the correct decision moving on from Chandler Jones. Jones, who is slated to hit the open market after the 2016 season, netted the Pats offensive lineman Jonathan Cooper and a second-round pick in a trade with the Cardinals.
- The Eagles have proven that they’re serious about spending money, Darin Gantt of PFT writes. Philly has now doled out more than $280MM in guaranteed money this offseason, nearly double of any other team.
Eagles Extend Fletcher Cox Through 2022
The Eagles announced that they have extended defensive tackle Fletcher Cox through the 2022 season. The six-year, $103MM deal includes $63MM guaranteed, which is the largest guarantee for a non-quarterback in league history, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The contract contains $36.299MM fully guaranteed, including a signing bonus of $26MM.
Reports in mid-April indicated that Philadelphia was close to working out a long-term contract with Cox, but with no agreement hammered out, Cox skipped voluntary Eagles workouts in May before reporting to minicamp last week. A deal always seemed likely, as club management has been adamant about Cox’s value to the team — de facto general manager Howie Roseman called Cox a “huge part” of the Eagles’ future, and was certain that Philadelphia would find a way to keep him around for the long haul.
Cox, 25, will average just under $17.2MM per season on his new deal, a number that makes him the second-highest paid defender in the NFL, behind Ndamukong Suh and just ahead of Olivier Vernon. The $63MM in guarantees is a massive figure and although that doesn’t account for the full guarantees, Cox still came away with a ton of fiscal security thanks to the deal’s details:
- $1.299MM guaranteed 2016 base salary, 2017 $6MM guaranteed option bonus, $3MM guaranteed 2017 base salary.
- $11.5MM 2018 base salary, which fully guarantees in March 2017
- $15.6MM 2019 base salary; $7.75MM fully guarantees in March 2017, $7.75MM fully guarantees in March 2018
- $12.9MM 2020 base salary (plus $1MM roster bonus); $15MM 2021 base salary (plus $1MM roster bonus); $16.1MM 2022 base salary (plus $1MM roster bonus)
The deal is structured in a way that would harshly penalize the Eagles if they were to part ways with Cox before many of those vesting guarantees trigger next March. As a result, Cox is effectively guaranteed an eye-popping $55.549MM at the time of signing. That’s about $1.5MM more than Aaron Rodgers, but still roughly $5MM less than Ndamukong Suh.
Cox had arguably the best season of his four-year career in 2015, setting a new career high with 9.5 sacks. He also racked up 71 tackles, three forced fumbles, and a pair of fumble recoveries. The performance earned the Mississippi State alum his first Pro Bowl nod, along with a top-10 spot on Pro Football Focus’ rankings of interior defenders — he placed ninth out of 123 qualified players.
As a first-round pick in 2012, Cox was under contract for one more season, scheduled to play out the 2016 season under a fifth-year option worth $7.799MM. He’ll now make much more than that in 2016, and he’ll also be asked to play a different role as the Eagles shift to a 4-3 defense under new coordinator Jim Schwartz. While Cox played end in Philadelphia’s old 3-4 look, he’ll shift to tackle this season, aligning at the three-technique where he’ll the opportunity to rack up more sacks and create more disruption.
The Eagles have made a habit of extending players this offseason, reaching long-term deals with tight ends Zach Ertz and Brent Celek, safety Malcolm Jenkins, offensive tackle Lane Johnson, and defensive end Vinny Curry. That entire core is now under contract through at least the 2020 season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Details provided by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Zach Links contributed to this post.
Jalen Mills, UDFA Defensive Tackles Making Positive Impressions
- The top of the Eagles‘ depth chart at defensive tackle looks pretty good, with Fletcher Cox and Bennie Logan stabilizing the interior of the team’s D-line. But beyond that, Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com says the picture gets pretty murky, as players like Beau Allen and Taylor Hart appear better-suited to a 3-4 defensive front, and new acquisition Derrick Lott was unable to stick with Tampa Bay last season. As Zangaro observes, that means that at least one of the Eagles’ three undrafted free agent DTs–Aziz Shittu, Destiny Vaeao, and Connor Wujciak–have a real shot at cracking the club’s roster. Vaeao and Wujciak were very impressive in spring workouts, Zangaro notes.
- Eagles rookie cornerback Jalen Mills fell to the seventh round of this year’s draft due to injury and maturity concerns, but thus far, he is making the case for significant regular season playing time. As Andrew Kulp of CSNPhilly.com writes, Mills has impressed coaches and teammates alike with his excellent performance in offseason workouts, and there is a real chance he could wind up as the team’s primary nickel corner.
Doug Pederson on Eagles, Final Roster, Absent Players
New Eagles coach Doug Pederson recently wrapped up his first mandatory minicamp, and the 48-year-old talked to Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com about the experience. The whole column is worth reading, but we pulled out some of the relevant quotes below…
There’s still a long way to go, but Pederson is already beginning to determine which of his 90 players will ultimately make the team. “I think you have an idea in the offseason,” he said. “You obviously know what you had coming back from last year, and of course your roster makeup and chemistry changes every year. It’s a new team, regardless of the new coaching staff or not. Next year we will be a new team, as well. Yeah, you begin to kind of go, ‘OK, pencil in guys here and there,’ and try to figure that out.”- Zangaro believes Pederson will have a particularly difficult time widdling down his group of tight ends and running backs, but the head coach already has a rough idea of how many players he’ll want for each position. “And again, as you know, once you get to the regular season and the way games are played, you want to make sure you’re covered in all areas,” he said. “But you go in having a general idea of how many you want at each spot.”
- One thing that Pederson wasn’t focused on was his previously-absent players. Sam Bradford, Fletcher Cox, and Darren Sproles all missed parts of the previous voluntary workouts, but the coach stayed focused on the players who were present. “I didn’t necessarily worry myself too much about those situations,” he said. “Again, it goes back to just the way the offseason is set up and the fact that the entire program, outside of these last four days, is a voluntary program, and I just can’t – I’ve got to worry about the guys that are here during those times, and focus on those guys…I think at the end of the day, we’re just very fortunate that everybody is here this week and getting through this offseason and getting ready for camp.”
Police Investigating Rape Claim Against Nelson Agholor
8:52pm: Eagles defensive lineman Fletcher Cox tweeted that he was also at the club, but he denied any involvement in the alleged incident.
5:46pm: Second-year Eagles receiver Nelson Agholor has been accused of rape by a dancer at Cheerleaders Gentlemen’s Club in Philadelphia, law enforcement sources told David Gambacorta of PhillyMag.com. Agholor has not been charged with a crime – and his attorney is “confident that he will not be charged” – but police are investigating the woman’s claim that Agholor raped her in the club at around 3 p.m. Thursday.
Detectives are working to track down video footage from the club, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross said. Investigators will speak soon with Agholor, who was with at least two other Eagles players, according to Gambacorta. One of those players, linebacker Connor Barwin, acknowledged his own presence at the club, but he stated that he left around 2:30 p.m. (Twitter link via Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News).
The allegation against Agholor comes as the result of a financial dispute, a person with knowledge of the situation told Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ Advance Media. Agholor agreed to pay the dancer $1,400 for their time in a private room, but because she left before the time they agreed on expired, Agholor only paid her $800. The dancer then left the bar without informing management of the alleged rape, per the source, who informed Shorr-Parks that multiple dancers at the club have told management that Agholor didn’t do anything wrong. A source with ties to Agholor told Bowen that Shorr-Parks’ report is correct (Twitter link).
Agholor has since left Philadelphia for Florida, where he played high school football. The Eagles, meanwhile, issued a statement Friday in response to the allegations.
“We are aware of the police investigation involving Nelson Agholor. The organization has been in contact with Nelson and with the proper authorities in Philadelphia. Because of the legal nature of this matter, we will have no further comment.”
Agholor, whom the Eagles used the 20th overall pick on in last year’s draft, caught 23 passes for 283 yards and a touchdown in 13 games as a rookie.
New Eagle Rueben Randle Wanted To Stay With Giants
Wide receiver Rueben Randle joined the Eagles earlier this offseason on a one-year deal after spending the first four seasons of his career with the division-rival Giants. If Randle had it his way, he’d still be with Big Blue. The 25-year-old told Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post he was “a little disappointed” the Giants didn’t show an interest in re-signing him before he headed to Philadelphia. “I just moved on and accepted it for what it was. I would’ve liked to have stayed,” said Randle, who called it “an unfortunate situation.” Randle was a productive and durable member of the Giants during his tenure with them, hauling in 188 passes and 20 touchdowns on 14.1 yards per catch while appearing in 64 straight regular-season games. He racked up 57 receptions and a career-best eight TDs last season.