March 17, 2021
After a turbulent start to the offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles have had a very quiet start to free agency. The team did announce a trio of roster moves after the start of the new league year on Wednesday afternoon.
• QB Carson Wentz officially traded: In case you missed it, the Eagles traded Wentz to the Colts earlier this offseason. I know, crazy, right? That move couldn't become official until the start of the new league year, and now it is. He's officially a Colt.
• WR Alshon Jeffery released: Jeffery was a good addition in 2017 when a strong market didn't materialize for him in free agency, and the Eagles were able to sign him to a reasonable one-year deal worth under $10 million. After a productive start to the 2017 season, Jeffery was rewarded with a four-year extension worth $52 million, and he helped the Eagles win a Super Bowl.
And then it all went downhill. He infamously anonymously badmouthed the starting quarterback in consecutive years in 2018 and 2019, and he was not the same player on the field, particularly in 2019. Just before the start of the 2019 season, the Eagles made the egregious error of guaranteeing Jeffery’s 2020 salary in exchange for a small pay cut. It's hard to fathom what the Eagles were thinking, as the benefit was not remotely close to the potential downside.
As it turned out:
The ripple effects of that awful decision will linger into the 2022 season. Jeffery will be released with a June 1 designation. He will count for $5,590,735 in dead money against the 2021, and $5,435,706 in 2022.
• DT Malik Jackson released: Jackson was a decent starter in 2020, but his tenure in Philly will go down as a pretty big disappointment overall, as he had 2.5 sacks in two seasons after signing a three-year deal worth $30 million during the 2019 offseason.
Like Jeffery above, Jackson will be released with a June 1 designation. He'll count for $3,611,000 against the cap in 2021, and $9,033,000 in 2022.
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