Isaac Sopoaga's tenure in Philadelphia was short lived, but by trading him to the Patriots the Eagles were able to move up in the fifth-round of the NFL draft. (Image courtesy of Yahoo Sports. )
Over the course of the next two weeks we will examine each of the Philadelphia Eagles 2013 free-agent signings and off-season additions and look at how they contributed to this year's NFC East championship team both on and off the field.
DT: Isaac Sopoaga
Expected to be a centerpiece to defensive coordinator Billy Davis' new 3-4 alignment, Isaac Sopoaga had a much shorter term in Philadelphia than many anticipated.
The 32-year old was inked to a three-year, $11 million deal this offseason that included a $2.75 million signing bonus. His $1 million base salary this season is fully guaranteed, as is $1 million of his base next season.
Obviously, Sopoaga will not be getting that money from the Philadelphia Eagles as the team made a trade deadline deal with the New England Patriots sending the nose tackle and a sixth-round draft choice away in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick.
As a member of the Eagles, Sopoaga played in eight games and notched ten tackles.
By moving Sopoaga, the Eagles were able to get rookie Bennie Logan and Damion Square more playing time and both players took advantage of it.
In his rookie season, Logan made 27 tackles and two sacks while giving a glimpse of being the type of player who can anchor a defensive line for years to come.
So, while Sopoaga did not provide the kind of boost anticipated along a largely youthful defensive line, the Eagles were able to move up in the fifth round of the draft and aided in the eventual development of players like Logan and Square.
2013 Free Agency Review
Matt Lombardo is the Editor-In-Chief of Eagledelphia and also an on-air personality on 97.5 FM The Fanatic in Philadelphia. Join the conversation and follow Matt on Twitter.
