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Fletcher Cox

Eagles, Fletcher Cox Discussing New Deal

March 18th, 2022 at 6:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rumored to be on the Eagles’ radar despite his release, Fletcher Cox may have a new contract with the team soon. The Eagles are working on a one-year deal with the perennial Pro Bowl defensive tackle, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

The six-time Pro Bowler has been the centerpiece of the Eagles’ defense for most of his career, missing just four games over the past nine seasons. The Eagles designated Cox as a post-June 1 cut, moving a small chunk of cash off their books from the elite defensive tackle’s oft-restructured contract.

Cox returning to Philly for an 11th season remains the expectation, Garafolo adds. It will be interesting to see what Cox commands on a one-year deal. He signed a six-year, $102.6MM extension in 2016. The Eagles restructured it three times from 2018-21, inflating the deal’s cap numbers to the point the team cut bait.

Cox, 31, drew trade interest in recent years as well. The Steelers discussed the All-Pro D-tackle with the Eagles during the 2021 season. But the dominant inside defender remained in Philly, helping the Eagles rebound after a significant step back in 2020. Cox recorded 3.5 sacks, 12 QB hits and seven tackles for loss last season, adding two forced fumbles.

The Eagles saw Javon Hargrave play well last season, and they used a third-round pick on Milton Williams last year. But Cox coming back will surely help a team that can bolster its lineup with three first-round selections next month.

Eagles To Release Fletcher Cox

March 17th, 2022 at 3:18pm CST by Adam La Rose

In a cost-cutting move, the Eagles have, at least for now, parted ways with a mainstay of their defense. The team has released defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link). 

He adds that Cox is being designated as a post-June 1st cut. The reason for the release’s timing is due to the fact that at 4:00 PM EST, $18MM of the compensation he was owed – nearly the entire amount – would have become fully guaranteed. Cutting him in this way creates over $12.8MM in dead money, while opening $2.1MM in cap space.

Garafolo does note, however, that a return to Philadelphia is still possible, something corroborated by ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Both Cox’s representatives and the team are in communication to work out a new contract. Cox originally had one more season on his deal, along with two void years.

Cox, a first rounder in 2012, has spent his entire career with the Eagles. Included in his tenure there is a stretch of six consecutive Pro Bowls from 2015 to 2020. He also earned First Team All-Pro honors in 2018. The 2021 season was essentially on par with his career averages, as he totalled 35 tackles, 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

However, he generated trade buzz both around this season’s trade deadline and during the offseason. A swap would’ve been complicated by his sizeable contract. As a free agent now, though, he should be more affordable to interested teams.

Eagles’ Fletcher Cox Drawing Interest

March 11th, 2022 at 8:45am CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles are getting calls on defensive tackle Fletcher Cox (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The Pro Bowler, who was nearly dealt before the fall deadline, is a name to watch as the trade market continues to heat up. 

The Steelers were among those with interest last time around, though they ultimately warded off by the Eagles’ asking price of a third-round pick.

“There were some teams interested in me, and the most important part of it was they wanted me here, and I wanted to be here and I’m happy to be here,” Cox said in early November.

The 31-year-old (32 in December) might not be in the Birds’ plans for 2022. As it stands, he’s set to carry a $14.9MM cap figure on the 2022 books, followed by $12.7MM in 2023. Under the current contract, a release isn’t a viable option, because it’d leave a whopping $40.9MM dead money hit. Even in a trade scenario, another restructure may be in order.

Cox, a six-time Pro Bowler, finished 2021 with 35 stops, 3.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. For his career, the 310-pound lineman has 58 sacks and 443 tackles to his credit, all with the Eagles.

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 1/3/22

January 3rd, 2022 at 8:56pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Monday’s activations from and placements on the reserve/COVID-19 lists:

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OT Mike Remmers (remains on IR)

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Raymond Calais (remains on IR)

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Steelers, Eagles Discussed Fletcher Cox Trade

November 7th, 2021 at 4:05pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles and Steelers discussed a trade that would have sent Fletcher Cox to Pittsburgh, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. However, the Steelers were ultimately warded off by the Eagles’ asking price of a third-round pick. 

Trading Cox would have left Eagles GM Howie Roseman with a sizable dead money hit. However, Kevin Colbert would have been able to fit his contract under the 2021 books, thanks to his recent restructure.

“There were some teams interested in me, and the most important part of it was they wanted me here, and I wanted to be here and I’m happy to be here,” Cox said this past week, via The Athletic.

Cox would have provided an immediate boost to the Steelers, who are without Tyson Alualu and awaiting the return of defensive tackle Stephon Tuitt. The 30-year-old (31 in December) also drew interest from other clubs, JLC hears, so there’s clearly a market for his services. That’s good news for Cox, who might not be in the Birds’ plans for 2022.

Cox, a six-time Pro Bowler, has started in all nine of his games this year, including today’s game against the Chargers. Heading into this afternoon, he’s recorded 12 tackles, and one sack, one fumble recovery, and a defensive touchdown.

Eagles Won’t Trade Fletcher Cox

November 2nd, 2021 at 3:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles did not find a suitable trade involving Fletcher Cox before today’s deadline (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). However, it wasn’t for a lack of trying. The Birds were aggressively trying to deal Cox, according to two NFL sources who spoke with Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). 

Trading Cox would have left the Eagles with an enormous cap hit, thanks to his six-year, $103MM contract. Cox still has another full year to go on his contract, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll play that out in Philadelphia. Keeping the defensive lineman under his current pact would result in a $23.8MM cap hit for 2022.

Cox has mostly lived up to his contract, but this is standard operating procedure for aging vets in the NFL. Even after collecting six straight Pro Bowls, the Eagles didn’t want to keep Cox through the end of the year.

“FOREVER PHILLY!!!!!,” Cox tweeted on Tuesday.

Forever might be an overstatement, but Cox will at least stay with the flock for the rest of this campaign. Cox, 31 in December, has started in all eight of his games this year while tallying one fumble recovery, one defensive touchdown, 12 tackles, and one sack to bring his career total to 55.5. He’ll make his next start on Sunday when the Eagles face the Chargers.

Eagles DT Fletcher Cox Drawing Trade Interest

October 31st, 2021 at 11:13am CST by Rory Parks

Teams have called the Eagles to inquire about the possibility of trading for DT Fletcher Cox, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. Those clubs are attempting to acquire Cox for a mid- to late-round selection, but Rapoport says GM Howie Roseman would require a “high” pick to pull the trigger.

Philadelphia selected Cox, who will turn 31 in December, with the No. 12 overall pick of the 2012 draft. He is well-established as a franchise icon, having earned six consecutive Pro Bowl nods from 2015-20, one First Team All-Pro selection (2018), and, of course, a Super Bowl ring. The club furnished him with a six-year, $103MM contract in 2016, but his best days seem to be behind him.

Cox is mired in something of a down year, and he has publicly complained about the scheme that defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon is running. With the 2-5 Eagles unlikely to make a postseason run in 2021, it stands to reason that Roseman would at least entertain calls from contenders looking to fill a hole on the interior of their defensive lines.

However, the Eagles did restructure Cox’s contract earlier this year, which could make him virtually untradeable. Although the restructure bought Philadelphia a fair amount of cap relief this season, it pushed a great deal of guaranteed money into future seasons, and a trade would leave a considerable dead cap charge on the Eagles’ books. And if Roseman is going to absorb that type of hit, he is only going to do it for a Day 2 selection, which other clubs might view as a prohibitive cost in light of Cox’s disappointing 2021 effort.

The Eagles might also consider trading DE Derek Barnett, as Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com tweets. Barnett, a 2017 first-rounder, has yet to record a sack in 2021, but teams are always in search of edge help, and as Barnett is eligible for free agency this offseason, Roseman may be willing to swing a deal.

Eagles Rework Fletcher Cox’s Contract

September 14th, 2021 at 10:14am CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles have converted $13.925MM of Fletcher Cox‘s base salary into a signing bonus (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). With a little help from the veteran defensive tackle, the Birds have created roughly $11.14MM in cap space for 2021.

[RELATED: Eagles Sign LT Jordan Mailata To Four-Year Extension]

Cox is tied to Philly through the 2022 season as he plays out his six-year, $103MM deal. Cox has mostly held up his end of the bargain. At the time of signing, he was coming off of his first ever Pro Bowl appearance. Now, he’s up to six straight, including a 2018 All-Pro nod.

Cox remains a key cog on the Eagles’ defensive line, having notched 6.5 sacks from the interior last year. If Cox loses a step, the Eagles might not be inclined to carry his $23.8MM cap hit into 2022. But, for now, they’re able to comfortably keep him on the roster, thanks to the payout adjustment.

This Date In Transactions History: Eagles Extend Fletcher Cox

June 13th, 2021 at 1:26pm CST by Zachary Links

Five years ago today, the Eagles locked up Fletcher Cox to a six-year, $103MM deal. The pact, which included $63MM in total guarantees, tied the defensive tackle to Philly through the 2022 season. 

Our retrospectives often deal with contracts that didn’t make it all the way to the end. After all, that’s the nature of the NFL, where injuries are common and true long-term security is hard to come by. However, Cox has mostly held up his end of the bargain. At the time of signing, Cox was coming off of his first ever Pro Bowl appearance. Now, he’s up to six straight, including a 2018 All-Pro nod.

The Eagles started talks in the spring, but things stalled into the summer. Cox skipped the Eagles’ voluntary workouts, leaving some to wonder whether a deal would ever come together. Still, Howie Roseman called Cox a “huge part” of the Eagles’ future and he backed that up by making him the second-highest paid defender in NFL history (at the time), just behind Ndamukong Suh and just ahead of Olivier Vernon. The $63MM in guaranteed cash was notable, and $55.5MM of that was effectively guaranteed at signing — $1.5MM more than Aaron Rodgers got on his re-up.

Cox remains a key cog on the Eagles’ defensive line, having notched 6.5 sacks from the interior last year. However, Jeff McLane of The Inquirer hears that the team has some concern about his conditioning. The feeling in Philly is that Cox hasn’t been as dedicated as Rams star Aaron Donald, and there’s concern that it will catch up with him sooner rather than later. If Cox loses a step, the Eagles won’t be inclined to carry his $23.8MM cap hit into 2022. Instead, the Birds could drop him between now and next spring, saving $10.6MM against $13.15MM in dead money.

Eagles Rework Fletcher Cox’s Deal

October 21st, 2020 at 10:52am CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles have converted $7.165MM of defensive tackle Fletcher Cox’s salary into a bonus, as ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. The move will carve out an extra $5.732MM in 2020 cap space, though it will impact their books for 2021. 

The Eagles were already facing a numbers crunch for 2021, due to their existing committments and the expected tightening of the cap. With that in mind, this likely won’t be the last adjustment made to Cox’s contract. Before the recent maneuver, Cox was set to earn cap figures of roughly $22.5MM in each of the next three seasons. He’s also believed to have a void year for the 2023 season.

Cox inked a six-year, $102.5MM extension with the Birds in 2016 to keep him tied to the club through 2022. As a first-round pick in 2012, Cox had only one year to go on his rookie deal. It was an expensive deal, but the Eagles were happy to pay the price — Cox had just registered the best season of his career and set a personal watermark with 9.5 sacks. He also racked up 71 tackles, three forced fumbles, a pair of fumble recoveries, and secured top-10 placement at his position, per Pro Football Focus.

Cox, 30 in December, has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last five seasons. In 2018, his 10.5 sacks from the interior earned him a First-Team All-Pro nod. So far this year, he has 1.5 sacks to his credit through six games.

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