Eagles Frontrunners For Byron Maxwell?
Based on comments made by Seahawks general manager John Schneider, who said this this week at the combine that his team won’t be using its franchise tag, it sounds as if cornerback Byron Maxwell will be allowed to reach the open market next month. And according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link), “present word” in Indianapolis suggests the Eagles are the frontrunners to land Maxwell.
Plenty can – and likely will – change between now and the beginning of the free agent period on March 10, and it’s possible that the Seahawks and Maxwell will find common ground during the next two and a half weeks. However, if the former sixth-round pick is available next month, it makes sense that the Eagles would be among his top suitors. As PFR’s Rob DiRe noted when he previewed the Eagles’ offseason last week, addressing the cornerback position will be a priority for the club this winter, and Maxwell may be the best corner on the market.
If the Eagles do want to sign Maxwell, he won’t come cheaply. Despite having been a full-time starter for just one season, Maxwell’s per-year asking price figures to be in the $10MM+ range, as Pauline reported earlier today. It remains to be seen whether he’ll land that sort of deal, given his limited track record. However, plenty of teams figure to be targeting corners, and multiple free agents last year – including Sam Shields, Aqib Talib, and Vontae Davis – signed contracts worth $9MM+ annually; the cap also looks poised to rise by about 8% for 2015.
Elsewhere on the Eagles’ front, Martin Frank of The News Journal hears from a source that cornerback Cary Williams has about a “50/50” chance of returning to Philadelphia for 2015. Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com has a similar assessment, tweeting that the Eagles and Williams haven’t discussed his future yet, but adding that that doesn’t mean he’s definitely gone. Williams is entering the final season of a three-year contract, and currently counts for $8.167MM against the team’s cap in ’15.
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Cowboys, Ogletree
The Eagles shook up the structure of their front office after the regular season ended, parting ways with Tom Gamble, promoting Ed Marynowitz, and assigning new roles to Chip Kelly and Howie Roseman. These changes were initially causing some confusion around the NFL among team executives and agents, who weren’t sure who to talk to about contracts and personnel decisions in Philadelphia. So far though, agents who deal with the Eagles say nothing has changed in terms of negotiations, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News, who adds that everything on that front still goes through Roseman, with no involvement from Kelly.
Here are a few more notes from out of the NFC East:
- While it’s certainly true that the Eagles could target a cornerback in the first round of this spring’s draft, Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com says the team should use the free agent period to try to upgrade its secondary, and use the draft as a Plan B. As Sheridan points out, recent history shows that a rookie defensive back – even one selected in the first round – may not be ready to contribute immediately.
- If Cowboys owner Jerry Jones allows DeMarco Murray go elsewhere this offseason, Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News sees pending free agent Mark Ingram as the next-best option. Of course, in light of Adrian Peterson‘s dissatisfaction with the Vikings, one can’t help but wonder if the long-rumored Peterson-to-Dallas connection could become a reality.
- Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link) has the details on wideout Kevin Ogletree‘s new deal with the Giants, which is worth $825K and includes $25K in guaranteed money. That’s slightly more than the minimum salary for a player with Ogletree’s experience.
- Earlier this morning, we learned that Jason Pierre-Paul and the Giants have yet to engage in discussions about a long-term contract.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
East Notes: Bills, Cowboys, Eagles, Dolphins
Based on comments made by Bills general manager Doug Whaley today, Joe Buscaglia of WGR550 (Twitter link) believes free-agents-to-be C.J. Spiller, Brandon Spikes, and Da’Norris Searcy will be allowed to explore their options on the open market next month. Conversely, it sounds like the team badly wants to re-sign Marcus Easley prior to March 10 (Twitter link).
Let’s round up several more items relating to the league’s East teams….
- While Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray are receiving most of the attention in Dallas this offseason, linebacker Rolando McClain is also someone the team is “very interested” in re-signing, according to Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones (link via Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram).
- The Cowboys were pleased with Brandon Weeden‘s work as Tony Romo‘s backup in 2014, but won’t rule out the possibility of upgrading at that spot if the opportunity presents itself, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. “Everybody is always competing in this league,” Jones said. “There is nobody guaranteed anything. That includes Weeden and everybody.”
- Prior to their release of tight end James Casey today, the Eagles didn’t have any discussions about reducing Casey’s salary and keeping him, tweets Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. According to Bowen, the veteran is looking for a bigger role than he had in Philadelphia, so he may get that opportunity with a new team.
- Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com believes the Eagles may find a logical trade partner in the Buccaneers, since GM Jason Licht hasn’t been shy about making deals since taking over the job. In Mosher’s view, Bucs safety Dashon Goldson makes sense as a trade target for Philadelphia.
- The issue for the Dolphins when it comes to Mike Wallace isn’t as simple as cutting or keeping the veteran wideout, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who writes that the team is almost certainly trying to restructure Wallace’s deal, or get him to take a pay cut.
Eagles Release James Casey
1:09pm: The Eagles have made the move official, announcing (via Twitter) that they’ve cut Casey.
12:54pm: The Eagles will clear some salary cap room for 2015 by parting ways with James Casey, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the team will release the veteran tight end. Casey had one year left on his deal, which was set to expire after the 2015 season.
Casey, 30, spent the first four seasons of his career with the Texans, parlaying a solid 2012 season into a three-year, $12MM deal with the Eagles. Although he caught 34 balls during his final year in Houston, Casey hasn’t been used as a pass-catcher in Philadelphia, having totaled just six receptions on nine targets in two seasons with the team.
Casey has still been a positive contributor for the Eagles, grading as an above-average run blocker, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). However, considering he only played 173 offensive snaps in 2014, it makes sense that the team would view his $4MM salary for 2015 as exorbitant. That entire $4MM figure is non-guaranteed, so releasing Casey clears a nice chunk of cap space for the Eagles.
As a veteran with six years of NFL experience, Casey will immediately be free to sign with another team once the Eagles make the transaction official.
East Links: Romo, Cowboys, Pats, Giants
Before the action really ramps up at this week’s combine in Indianapolis, let’s round up a few links from out of the NFL’s two East divisions….
- Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones doesn’t think that quarterback Tony Romo is at the end of the line, as Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News writes. “I still think Tony has a lot of time left, personally,” Jones said.“I heard him say anywhere from four to five years, so that’s a long time.”
- The Cowboys will approach the free agent market intent on maximizing the return on their investments, which doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll target top-of-the-class players, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com.
- Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com runs down five things to look for in the NFL combine from the Patriots‘ perspective. New England is unlikely to take a skill player high in the draft and they’ll probably target offensive and defensive linemen. On the o-line, he identifies Andrus Peat (Stanford), Cedric Ogbuhei (Texas A&M), and T.J. Clemmings (Pittsburgh) as some of the names to watch. For defensive linemen, meanwhile, he highlights Malcom Brown (Texas), Jordan Phillips (Oklahoma), Michael Bennett (Ohio State), and others.
- Paul Schwartz of the New York Post looks at some of the players the Giants will have their eye on at the combine. The Giants could be in the hunt for a safety and Shaq Thompson of Washington is one intriguing option. The 6’2″, 231-pound force profiles as a safety but wouldn’t look out of place at linebacker either.
- The Eagles have hired former Jets assistant Brian Smith as their assistant linebackers coach, the team announced today (via Twitter).
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
East Notes: Allen, M. Williams, Jets, Jenkins
According to multiple reports (all four Twitter links), Eagles safety Nate Allen was detained, questioned, and released following an accusation of indecent exposure. Allen is adamant that the accusation was false, and says he has asked police to keep investigating in the hopes of finding video that clears him, tweets Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. Assuming the accusation levied against the defensive back, who is eligible for free agency next month, was indeed false (as it seems to be), it could highlight potential problems with the league’s new personal conduct policy, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explains.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Former Bills wide receiver Mike Williams was released by the team toward the end of the 2014 season, giving him a head start on free agency. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, Williams’ agent is taking advantage of that opportunity, with six meetings set up in Indianapolis this week. The veteran wideout could find a new home soon, according to Rapoport.
- If Marcus Mariota is available at No. 6 overall, it would be the “ultimate no-brainer” for the Jets to trade the pick to Eagles and stockpile future selections, says Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. In Mehta’s view, a swap of that sixth overall pick in exchange for the Eagles’ first- and second-rounders in 2015 and 2016, would be fair for both sides.
- Defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins, who accepted a pay cut over the weekend, tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com that he “kind of knew” the Giants would ask to rework his contract, and he never considered the possibility of rejecting the request and forcing the club to cut him.
- Earlier today, we rounded up a few Patriots-related links, and passed along word that the Giants may be preparing to franchise Jason Pierre-Paul.
Eagles Declined Gordon/Foles Trade In 2013
Much has been made of the rumored 2013 trade that would have sent Browns receiver Josh Gordon to the 49ers nearly two years ago — the Niners were reportedly prepared to send Cleveland at least a second-round pick, but owner Jimmy Haslam is believed to have stepped in and shut down trade discussions. It turns out that San Francisco wasn’t the only team with whom the Browns had serious talks about Gordon that year. According to Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com, the Eagles also spoke to Cleveland in 2013 about a possible Gordon deal.
Sheridan reports that the trade, which was ultimately nixed by the Eagles, would have involved quarterback Nick Foles heading to Cleveland. For context, Foles had won just one of his six career starts for Philadelphia at that point, while Gordon was facing a two-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
Both players ended up having outstanding 2013 campaigns, with Gordon leading the league in receiving yards and Foles tossing 27 touchdowns to just two interceptions. Their 2014 seasons were less successful, however — Gordon missed 10 games due to another suspension, and struggled to fit into the offense upon his return, while Foles had turnover problems in the first half and was eventually sidelined for the year with a broken collarbone.
Even though this isn’t exactly a current trade rumor, it’s still entertaining to imagine what might have been. With Foles under contract, the Browns presumably wouldn’t have Johnny Manziel on their current roster, and might be deciding this winter whether or not to extend Foles. As for Gordon, perhaps he’d still be dealing with the same off-field issues in Philadelphia, but given what we’ve heard about the Browns’ organization within the last few weeks, it’s fair to wonder if a change of scenery – not to mention a spot in Chip Kelly‘s offense – might have significantly altered the young wideout’s course over the last couple years.
Heading into 2015, there’s still some uncertainty surrounding both players, with Gordon facing at least a year-long suspension, and Foles entering the final year of his contract. Of course, Gordon’s NFL future is much more up in the air than Foles’, so if this swap was indeed on the table back in 2013, the Eagles’ front office should be happy it didn’t put the trigger.
East Notes: McCourty, Jets, JPP, Eagles
Titans cornerback Jason McCourty likes the idea of playing in the same secondary as his twin brother, and tells Dan Duggan of NJ.com that he hopes to get a chance to recruit Devin McCourty, even while acknowledging it’ll be hard to get the safety out of New England.
“As March closes in he’ll get a chance to see what New England wants to do, and I know he wants to be back there. He feels like that’s home. I think that’s where he’ll want to play his entire career,” the Titans defensive back said of his brother, adding: “You know how the business side of it goes. We’ll see. If he becomes a free agent, I’ll be doing everything in my power to try to get him to Tennessee.”
For his part, Devin admits that he’s “excited” to see how the free agent process will play out. The 27-year-old safety is a viable candidate to receive the franchise tag from the Patriots sometime in the next two weeks.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Taking a look at the Jets‘ options as they explore adding a quarterback, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com notes that the team has an “interesting name” on its radar: Sam Bradford. The Rams have made it clear they’d like to bring back the former No. 1 overall pick, assuming he’s willing to rework his contract, but if Bradford isn’t willing to take a significant pay cut, it’s possible he’ll hit the open market and join a weak class of free agent QBs.
- As of the start of the month, the Giants and the reps for Jason Pierre-Paul had yet to exchange contract numbers, and nothing has changed on that front as of today, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Raanan writes that the next two weeks will be “vital” to JPP’s potential future in New York as the team decides whether or not to use its franchise tag on the defensive end.
- If the Eagles can’t find a quality safety in free agency to complement Malcolm Jenkins, it’s possible the team will bring back Nate Allen, but it feels like that relationship has run its course, writes Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com. McManus expects the Eagles to address the hole in its secondary in either free agency or the draft, rather than promoting an in-house option to the starting lineup.
- Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News examines the Bills‘ chances of keeping pass rusher Jerry Hughes on their roster, estimating that the team would likely have to pay Hughes a deal worth $8MM per year, with up to $20MM in guaranteed money.
NFC Links: Saints, Falcons, Eagles, Lions, Bears
Whether you are watching the NBA All-Star Game, SNL 40, or something else, here is a roundup of some NFC links you might have missed today:
- The Saints signed Senio Kelemete, Shayne Graham, Luke McCown, and Parys Haralson earlier this offseason, but the team still has 11 players on the roster set to hit free agency, writes Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com. The team could still attempt to sign deals for the following players before they reach free agency on March 10: Mark Ingram, Robert Meachem, Jonathan Goodwin, Brandon Deaderick, Ramon Humber, Moise Fokou, Patrick Robinson, Jamarca Sanford, Travaris Cadet, Bryce Harris, and Tyrunn Walker.
- The Falcons have their coaching staff in place, but now need to tighten up the roster. D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution goes through the roster playing “Stay or Go?” with each player. Notable guys who should stay (after the obvious) include Roddy White and Osi Umenyiora, while Ledbetter believes the team should move on from Steven Jackson, Tyson Jackson, and others.
- The Eagles‘ most pressing need is clearly cornerback, but Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com also picks out some secondary needs, including inside linebacker, offensive line, quarterback, and wide receiver. Mosher writes that if the team fails to re-sign Jeremy Maclin, receiver would jump to the number one need, even over the secondary.
- As part of the Lions’ ongoing offseason, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press profiles the free agency of offensive tackle Corey Hilliard. The 29-year old struggled with injuries in 2014, and his career s a backup tackle with the team is in jeopardy.
- John Fox will taking the helm in Chicago as the Bears’ head coach, looking to turn around a porous defense in a hurry. Lucky for Bears’ fans, Fox’s teams have a history of drafting well on defense, writes Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. In Fox’s ten drafts as a head coach, his teams have selected seven defensive players, and Jahns writes that every single one of those picks has turned into a very good player who made an impact immediately.
Offseason Outlook: Philadelphia Eagles
Pending free agents:
- Nate Allen, S
- Bradley Fletcher, CB
- Brandon Graham, DE/OLB
- Jeremy Maclin, WR
- Casey Matthews, LB
- Chris Polk, RB (restricted)
- Mark Sanchez, QB
- Brad Smith, WR
- Cedric Thornton, DL (restricted)
Top 10 2015 cap hits:
- LeSean McCoy, RB: $11,950,000
- Trent Cole, OLB: $11,625,000
- Jason Peters, T: $9,050,000
- Cary Williams, CB: $8,166,668
- Connor Barwin, OLB: $7,000,000
- DeMeco Ryans, LB: $6,900,000
- Evan Mathis, G: $6,500,000
- Malcolm Jenkins, S: $5,666,666
- Lane Johnson, T: $5,414,483
- Todd Herremans, OL: $5,200,000
Notable coaching changes:
- Chip Kelly awarded final say over all draft, roster decisions.
Draft:
- No. 20 overall pick
- Acquired a fourth-round pick from the 49ers (via the Bills) for Bryce Brown.
Other:
- Current projected cap room (via Over the Cap): $18.95MM
- Must exercise or decline fifth-year option for 2016 for DL Fletcher Cox.
- Top extension candidates: Nick Foles, Fletcher Cox, Cary Williams
Overview
The Eagles are coming off a painful end to the season in which they finished 1-3 in their final four games, ending up with a 10-6 record and narrowly missing the playoffs after having control of the NFC East for most of the year. Those four losses all came with Mark Sanchez at the helm, after the team lost Nick Foles to a broken clavicle in early November, an injury that prematurely ended the starting quarterback’s season. While Sanchez had his moments and performed better than many backups would have fared, he was unable to keep the lead he was handed in the divisional race.
Chip Kelly‘s vaunted offensive attack was unable to hit the same marks it did in his first season as the head coach, when Foles became a dark horse MVP candidate behind his 27 touchdown to only two interceptions. The Eagles were able to move the ball behind a dangerous ground attack with LeSean McCoy and a superb offensive line.
This past season, however, the offensive line dealt with injuries and suspensions, and was never able to line up its best five guys and really get a flow running the football. McCoy still ran his way into the Pro Bowl, but Eagles fans saw it as a slow burn instead of the highlight reel on loop that it had been in 2013.
One of last year’s best trades brought in Darren Sproles, who did provide some spark to both the offense and the special teams units. The Eagles’ struggles on offense were mitigated by touchdowns by the defense and special teams, but all those wins without a playoff appearance could keep the team from drafting the one player it might need the most in order to take the next step into a Super Bowl contender.
Transfer of Power
Since the regular season ended, the biggest story surrounding the Eagles has been the club’s front office shakeup. Kelly has been given a more authoritative role over the roster, while former general manager Howie Roseman has reportedly maintained control over contract negotiations and cap management. So far, this new setup has created more confusion than anything.
The new power structure will ensure that Kelly will be able to have more of an imprint on the on-the-field product. Without anyone to answer to, he will be able to pursue players to fit his system through the draft and free agency, with less push-back or resistance from his front office.
Kelly has already made a habit of adding former Oregon Ducks to his Eagles’ roster, but with full control it would be difficult to imagine someone with vision for the team such as Kelly’s not immediately pushing this roster forward, especially on offense, in order to run the offense exactly the way he wants.
Quarterback Situation
The first thing the Eagles need to address is their quarterback position. Nick Foles was sensational in 2013, but the combination of him and Sanchez this past year was adequate at best. Kelly is not running a defense-first team that can survive inconsistent quarterback play, so that will have to improve going forward.
Sanchez faded down the stretch, likely putting him out of the running for the job. The seemingly obvious solution would be to move forward with Foles, and chalk up a failed 2014 campaign to his injury. That would be a dangerous presumption. Foles turned the ball over 13 times in eight games, and struggled moving the football down the field. He also graded out extremely poorly according to Pro Football Focus, coming up behind the likes of Charlie Whitehurst, Zach Mettenberger, Mike Glennon, and Kirk Cousins (subscription required).
Of course, the top free agent passer is generally considered to be either Sanchez or Brian Hoyer. Sanchez performed worse than Foles, and doesn’t have a recent Pro Bowl season to his name, and Hoyer graded out considerably worse than Foles — the Browns signal-caller was among the worst in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.
The wild card here is the NFL Draft, where Jameis Winston is ascending as the likely number one overall pick. The quarterback he passed to get there is former Oregon Duck Marcus Mariota, who is watching his stock slip a little as the weeks go by.
The Jets are currently slated to take Mariota with the sixth pick, according to ESPN Draft Expert Todd McShay (Insider-only article). The Eagles select at No. 20, but Kelly may be hoping to have a shot to draft his former star. Moving up from 20th to first or second is probably out of the question, and even moving up to sixth is unlikely. However, if Kelly is sold on Mariota, there must be a place where he feels comfortable moving up to get the Heisman winner should he continue to fall.
Last year, Teddy Bridgewater went from possible top-three pick to the end of the first round where the Vikings traded up to select him. I don’t imagine that happening again, even if Mariota continues to fall out of favor with NFL evaluators. Even falling to No. 20 is very unlikely, as the fit with the Eagles is too obvious and any other team interested would be smart enough to try to work a deal to move up ahead of the Eagles to select him.
Kelly might not think Mariota is the perfect fit for the NFL version of his up-tempo attack, but Foles, Sanchez, and Hoyer are probably more likely to disappoint than they are to put up the points that Kelly is looking for from his offense.
Positions Of Need
Other than quarterback, which is always the number one position of need for teams that don’t feel they have the right guy, the Eagles’ biggest need is at cornerback, where the team is in desperate need of an upgrade. During their 1-3 finish, the Eagles repeatedly got burned in one-on-one coverage on the outside – giving up notably large performances to Dez Bryant, Doug Baldwin, DeSean Jackson, and Odell Beckham Jr. – and the club’s corners struggled in many other games this season.
If the team is insistent on running an aggressive defense, it will require better players on the outside. Darrelle Revis seems like a lock to return to the Patriots, and Byron Maxwell might not represent the type of athlete the Eagles need for their style of defense. Brandon Flowers also struggled in the Chiefs’ man-to-man heavy defense before being cut and restoring his value in San Diego.
Among corners that are better fits, Kareem Jackson could potentially handle the scheme, although he has been inconsistent in Houston. Antonio Cromartie is also a modicum of inconsistency, but he has a lot of experience being on an island and has had more good days than bad recently.
One interesting option is Packers free agent Tramon Williams, who was last seen getting burned for a game-winning, one-on-one touchdown to Jermaine Kearse. Williams will likely not be re-signed by the Packers as a 32-year-old corner. He still has some cover skills, and on a short-term deal, could be effective. Chris Culliver and Davon House could be additional options for Philadelphia, though neither would be considered a surefire fix at the position.
The team could also use an upgrade at safety, although veteran options are far and few between there as well. If Antrel Rolle or Troy Polamalu hits free agency, both could be stop-gap solutions for the Eagles in 2015. The team will also have an opportunity to look at defensive backs with their first-round pick, with a number of corners and/or safeties likely to be available. Landon Collins of Alabama could be one star player that may fall to the Eagles at that No. 20 spot.
Key Free Agents
The Eagles’ most important free agent is Jeremy Maclin, who bet on himself with a one-year contract last season. That bet paid off to the tune of 85 catches, 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns. Maclin is now in line for a very big long-term contract with plenty of guaranteed money. Our own Luke Adams noted that it wouldn’t make sense for Maclin to sign his extension just yet — with franchise tags ready to be passed out, Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant could be off the market by the time free agency opens. That would make Maclin’s best competition Randall Cobb, and could leave him as the most sought-after free agent at his position.
The only other major free agent worth keeping is edge rusher Brandon Graham. Graham never quite fit into the Eagles’ plans under Kelly’s regime. Graham would be a cleaner fit for a 4-3 defense where he could line up with one hand in the dirt. Despite high production, he has appeared in less than 1,300 snaps over the past three seasons. In 435 snaps in 2012, he ranked as the second-best defensive end in the league according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He graded positively again in 331 snaps in 2013 while transitioning to a 3-4 outside linebacker, and his 524 snaps in 2014 he rated out as the third-best player at his position. Graham will likely look for a big pay raise with more opportunity, and the Eagles might think it is better to let him go and groom underwhelming 2014 first-round pick Marcus Smith for a larger role on the defense.
The team will likely allow Nate Allen, Bradley Fletcher, Sanchez, and Brad Smith leave in free agency, or bring them back on short-term deals with little guaranteed money.
Possible Cap Casualties
Cary Williams‘ middling performance and the struggles in the secondary as a whole would be enough to consider moving on from the Super-Bowl-winning cornerback, and a cap hit of more than $8.16MM for 2015 will only make that decision easier. Cutting Williams would save $6.5MM on the cap, according to OverTheCap.com.
A tougher decision for the Eagles will be Trent Cole, who has been a stalwart of the team’s defense for years, and remains productive. A pass-rushing expert, Cole has been a premier – if underrated – contributor for his entire career as an Eagle. His 85.5 career sacks puts him just outside the top 10 for active players, and place him second in franchise history. However, releasing Cole this offseason would result in cap savings of $8.425MM in 2015, followed by savings of $11MM and $14MM the next two years. If the team still wants to keep him, a restructure might be a possibility for Cole, who has expressed interest in playing his entire career with the team.
DeMeco Ryans tore his Achilles tendon and missed most of the 2014 campaign, leaving Kelly to call him the “Mufasa” of the team’s defense. Whether or not that reference was used properly, there is no doubt that Ryans was a leader on the team and that his absence would be felt. The team will likely want him back in 2015, but a $6.9MM cap hit may be too high for an inside linebacker coming off a serious injury.
Finally, LeSean McCoy is the rare running back who holds the highest cap number on his team’s books. Not many would argue that he’s not deserving of being one of the highest-paid players at his position, but even still, a cap hit approaching $12MM leaves restructuring a possibility.
Extension Candidates/Contract Decisions
The Eagles will likely point to Fletcher Cox as a top priority this offseason. He graded out as a top five 3-4 defensive end in 2014 according to Pro Football Focus, alongside such names as J.J. Watt, Muhammad Wilkerson, Calais Campbell, and Sheldon Richardson. The team will almost certainly exercise its fifth-year option on Cox, but a long-term extension would be ideal.
Foles believes he should return as the starter in 2015, and if the Eagles agree, then an extension seems like a possibility. However, it’s not clear if the team is sold on the idea of Foles as its quarterback of the future. If he becomes available via trade, there will likely be potential suitors who believe in his abilities. The Eagles may covet a passer like Mariota, or another player more dynamic than Foles.
Overall Outlook
The Eagles are coming off a 10-win season that saw them narrowly miss the playoffs, and 2015 will likely represent a crossroads for Kelly’s regime. The club was able to stay afloat with the duo of Foles and Sanchez, but that shouldn’t mask the fact that the quarterback situation needs to be addressed. Of course, with the 20th pick in the draft and a lack of options in free agency, it will be extremely difficult to upgrade that spot. The dream would be Mariota falling, but that might just be a storyline that brings the city of Philadelphia false hope. A secondary option such as Brett Hundley far from guarantees an upgrade over Foles, now or in the future.
A more realistic spot to make significant upgrades is in the secondary, which held the entire defense back in 2014. Unfortunately for Eagles’ fans, the market for corners and safeties isn’t great this year after or Revis and Devin McCourty, who may not even become available. Players like Cromartie and Tramon Williams, or Byron Maxwell, Chris Culliver, and Davon House could be improvements, but adding one or two of those guys probably wouldn’t make the Eagles’ defense one of the top units in the league.
Coach Kelly will try his best to keep his team at double-digit wins and in the playoff hunt for a third straight year, but if he cannot return Foles to his 2013 form or find a better option, Kelly will have a hard time sustaining his early success over the long term.
Information from Over The Cap was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.