March 09, 2017
Early this week, I cleared my schedule and made sure that I could be in front of a computer for the onslaught of Philadelphia Eagles news that was going to break, beginning at noon on Tuesday with the start of the "legal tampering period," which in the past has always led to the Birds "agreeing to terms" with various players.
Almost 48 hours in, aaaaannnnd all they've done is sign long-time back-of-the-roster guy Najee Goode.
That should all change today, likely at the official start of free agency, which will begin at 4:00 p.m. EST. Presently, the Eagles have just $6,145,350 under the salary cap, which is the second-lowest total in the NFL, behind only the Kansas City Chiefs, according to OverTheCap.com.
At a minimum, you'll see some cap casualties today. Back in January, we reported that the Eagles were likely to free up a significant amount of cap space. Here are the players that may be moving on from the team this offseason, listed in order of cap savings:
• DE Connor Barwin: $7,750,000 savings if cut or traded. Barwin wants to stay in Philadelphia and has stated that he would be open to a pay cut, but even a pay cut is unlikely to keep him on the roster.
• QB Chase Daniel: $6,000,000 savings if traded. The Eagles won't release Daniel, because that will cost too much in dead money in 2017. However, if a team made a trade offer, and there reportedly is interest in him somehow, then it probably won't take much to get Daniel's bad contract of the Eagles' hands.
• RB Ryan Mathews: $4,000,000 savings if cut or traded. Mathews was likely to be released even if he didn't sustain a career-threatening neck injury late in the season. If Mathews had finished the season healthy, the Eagles might have found a trade partner for him, but that is no longer an option. Mathews will be almost certainly be released, but that won't happen for a while as Mathews is still recovering from a serious neck injury.
• C Jason Kelce: $3,800,000 savings if cut or traded. Previously, we reported that the team is considering moving on from Kelce, who should be a tradable piece if the Eagles are motivated to move on from him. A team in need of a short-term fix at center could have interest. This is a move that may not happen right away, as the Eagles would be wise to make sure they have a replacement at center or guard (Isaac Seumalo would take over at center in that scenario) before they move on.
• OL Allen Barbre: $2,100,000 savings if cut or traded. We reported via a source that Barbre was not safe back in January. Barbre proved to be a versatile player in 2016, playing multiple positions along the offensive line. At a minimum, he is a competent reserve. However, he has a history of injuries, he'll turn 33 in June, and his quality season last year has not been the norm over his career. The team gave Barbre permission to seek a trade.
• LB Mychal Kendricks: $1,800,000 savings if cut or traded. Kendricks is a flawed player, but his positive traits were not maximized in Jim Schwartz's defense. He has trade value, and as PhillyVoice was the first to report a month ago, the Eagles have been exploring trade interest in him around the league.
• CB Ron Brooks: $1,600,000 savings if cut or traded. Brooks suffered a serious ruptured quadriceps last season. He's in a similar situation as Ryan Mathews, in that the team cannot release him while he's still injured.
As for the players the Eagles are likely to add, make sure you check in regularly on our Eagles rumor and report tracker.
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