Rating Eagles Offseason Moves So Far

By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor

With a salary that was above the 2019 cap at the end of the 2018 season, there were sure to be moves made that would help the team get under the cap prior to the start of the new league year.

Still, the team made many moves that were simply unexpected.

With a break in the free agent action, I decided to take a look at each move and assign each a grade.

An absolute shocker, this move caught me totally off-guard. I was in Clearwater to see a few Phillies Spring Training games when it happened and my limited access to WiFi left me personally a bit behind on the news, but the shock comes from the money rather than the player.

When the Eagles completed this deal, the team was still over the cap and Graham was arguably the highest-priced free agent set to leave the roster other than Nick Foles. The team had reportedly tried to negotiate an extension with Graham last season, but the two sides were too far apart and no deal got done.

Howie Roseman locked up one of the top edge rushers in the league to a three-year, $40 million deal just days before Dee Ford, Demarcus Lawrence, Jadeveon Clowney and Frank Clark were all franchise-tagged and would have made Graham’s deal that much more expensive.

Graham also returns as a critical locker room leader and solidified the starting position opposite Derek Barnett. The deal may very well make Graham an Eagle for life and having a player be able to say they stuck with only one team and were happy to do so is a rarity in the NFL, especially at a position other than quarterback, and speaks volumes about the franchise to every other player.

The deal has rather high cap hits in 2020 and 2021, but ends following the 2021 season. That would be the same time that the team is set to lose control of Derek Barnett. The forward thinking of this deal appears to allow the Eagles to extend Barnett in a similar manner following Graham’s tenure and keep another Eagles draft pick around.

Another move that was a bit of a shock was the Eagles moving on from Michael Bennett.

The move was not a bad one, however. Bennett is an outspoken player whose personality almost certainly clashes with someone in every locker room. He was productive last season when he was happy, but he was not going to be happy returning to a backup role for 2019.

While a $7.2 million cap hit is certainly affordable, it is not the kind of money that you want to tie up on a single rotational player.

While it made sense to move on, it is hard to imagine that the Eagles couldn’t have gotten more for him than a fifth-round pick while also sending a seventh-round pick. It is almost a swap back for what they sent to Seattle to acquire him, but they did not get a player back like Marcus Johnson. Johnson was sent to the Seahawks with the fifth-round pick last offseason and spent last season on NFL rosters. He may not be a star, but he is still a role player. It would have been nice for the Eagles to at least break even again.

Malik is an instant locker room leader and brings even more charitable work to a team that boasts the 2018 Walter Payton Man of the Year in addition to community leaders like Malcom Jenkins, Carson Wentz and Steinberg-DeNicola Humanitarian Award winner Zach Ertz.

Additionally, he very clearly wanted to be here and play along what he called the best defensive line in the league and the “future Hall of Famer” Fletcher Cox. He understands that playing alongside these guys will improve his play rather than taking on every double team as he did in Jacksonville.

His signing doesn’t affect the Eagles comp pick formula and his “down season” enables the Eagles to get a highly effective player on what can be considered a fairly inexpensive deal (considering his position) for the production he should have.

The additional production Fletcher Cox will have from facing fewer double and triple-teams cannot go understated as the Birds relied on Cox to beat those uneven matchups mearly every snap to get any pressure up the middle.

Jackson provides the “deep threat” receiver that is meant to keep defenses honest and open the short field for guys like Ertz and Jeffery, something Mike Wallace was supposed to do last season.

DeSean began his career in Philly and loves the city and team, and the club needed only to give up a low sixth-round pick for Jackson and a seventh.

The move comes with two concerns, however: health and the locker room.

Sure Jackson is the best deep threat there is, but speed often doesn’t mix well with age and that has led Jackson to get injured more and more frequently. A team that just saw an injury-plagued season where more than half of their players missed time with injury relying on an oft-injured veteran isn’t ideal.

While his locker room presence isn’t as big of a deal as many have made it seem, there is still some concern. Jackson is the kind of player who will fit in very well if the Eagles continue to win, but if things turn downhill, Jackson could be the kind of player that blows things up, much like Odell did with the Giants by taking issues that should be handled internally into the media.

Still, that is no sure thing as Jackson has grown in his time in the league. Injuries should be a major concern, but when he gets on the field, DeSean can absolutely change the game for the Eagles.

Bringing back Darby is a move that was made possible only by the fact that the other six corners the Eagles have are on rookie deals.

From a chemistry perspective, it is a smart signing as it allows the young group to continue to develop with the most experienced member who has served as a leader in the locker room since the Eagles acquired him from Buffalo.

From a play standpoint, it returns the corner to the roster who has shown the most ability. You could argue that perhaps Sidney Jones or Avonte Maddox has a higher ceiling if they get consistent playing time when healthy, but Darby is the one that has shown the most in the NFL.

As the team saw last year, injuries happen. With six capable corners, the Eagles will be able to deal with those injuries should they occur again, even if Mills or Darby are unable to start the season.

It is unlikely anyone is given a starting position and competition breeds the best athletes. The only argument I would make against the move is that is seems to limit the team’s ability to keep guys like Chandon Sullivan around or have room for a drafted corner, which could negatively impact the team’s future. As a win-now move, however, there isn’t much to dislike about the deal.

Letting Wisniewski go out of the blue was arguably the worst move the team made this offseason.

Wiz is not an elite lineman, but he is more than capable and has positional flexibility. In 2017, Wiz was the starting left guard for the top offensive line in the league, so a $3 million cap hit isn’t a lot to have that high quality of a player as your backup at three positions on the line.

He has also done very well with teammates and helping to coach some of the younger guys the team has brought in just as he himself was coached by his father and eight-time Pro Bowl uncle.

The only thing that keeps this from getting an F is that Wiz wanted to start and has the skills to do so, which could have caused an issue in the locker room. Still, it is hard to imagine that the Eagles could not have gotten any team to send them a pick for Wiz if they had shopped him as they had done with Michael Bennett. With such a low cap hit and a solid track record, just letting him walk doesn’t make sense.

Tim Jernigan has received $9 million from the Eagles since the start of the 2018 season. All that money and he played fewer than 50 snaps.

Jernigan injured himself under some mysterious circumstances and made $9 million for essentially doing nothing to help the team over the past year. He also seemed unwilling to rework his deal to stick around and earn another extension as Rodney McLeod did.

You can’t blame him for taking the $9 million and he certainly seemed to bring an energy to the defensive line upon his return. You know what else could bring energy to the defensive line? A defensive tackle who actually plays football, someone like Malik Jackson.

Placing a second-round tender on Sudfeld all but guaranteed he’d return to the team or the organization would receive another pick to draft a fairly promising, even younger quarterback.

By all accounts, Sudfeld is an excellent teammate and the team remains high on him, going so far as to keep him on the 53-man roster so that other teams couldn’t sign him off their practice squad despite his chances of seeing the field being minimal.

Howie Roseman has placed an emphasis on signing their own guys to lucrative deals. They may not make players the highest paid, but they get reasonable money from the team. This move does just that as Sudfeld gets a pay raise in line with what many back-up quarterbacks settle for in free agency before ever reaching free agency and with extremely limited meaningful snaps.

Sudfeld has shown some skills and keeping around someone who clearly fits in with the rest of the team to compete for a backup position is a wise move with very little loss.

Seumalo struggled mightily his first few seasons, but seemed to put it together in 2018. If hee is able to improve further, this deal could turn out to be a steal.

In addition to getting a cost-controlled starter, which is important because not every player on the offensive line can be in the top 10 highest paid in the league at their positions, he provides flexibility by being able to play at any position on the line. The Eagles are able to cope with injuries on the line so well due, in large part, to this versatility.

What did the Eagles have to give up to get this deal done? Just $800,000 in 2019 cap space.

Sure, Kelce is now an older player, but it really doesn’t make sense not to extend him.

There were some reports mid-season that Kelce was considering retirement. They may have been misguided, but there is no reason for the Birds to risk losing him.

Coming off of the 2017 season in which Kelce had arguably the best season by a center in at least a decade, expectations were high. Kelce maintained his place as the top center in the league in 2018. He may be running out of time in the NFL, but he is the best center in the game right now. Extending him now also keeps his cap hit lower in the future than it would be signing him later with inflating salaries.

Make no mistake, Peters is still an above average player when he is on the field, so having him play should not be a concern. The new deal also gave the Eagles more cap space.

Perhaps the most important part of the deal is that it locks in a starter at left tackle. The position was a big question mark before the deal because of young Australian Jordan Mailata. Mailata is physically a freak that showed great promise after having never played football or even used the equipment before. The return of Peters allows the succession plan for Mailata an extra year to develop and learn behind the Hall of Fame bound lineman.

The only reason to dislike this deal is injuries. Peters has struggled with them the past two seasons, and even if he only misses a few snaps, it is a hugely negative impact. His leaving the game brings Big V in cold off the bench after a week of backup reps in practice. That is totally unfair to Big V as he looks lost before he can get into rhythm. There are times where Peters leaves for only a couple snaps and leaves Big V out to dry for those few snaps before he returns.

The impact here is very negative for the development of Vaitai. His remaining on the bench could have two effects. The one that would benefit the Eagles is that his lack of playing time lowers his market value and the team can sign him to a very friendly extension. The second possible effect would be that Vaitai is unhappy that the team passed over him and he leaves elsewhere with a poor perception of the organization.

With health, Peters is still the best starting option at left tackle and can give an extra year of development to the international project that the team hopes will be just as good as Peters in his prime.

As a short-term, win-now move, this is an excellent pickup. Sendejo is an excellent player who has struggled with injuries. When healthy, he will allow Malcolm Jenkins to be more aggressive at the line and, along with the emergence of Tre Sullivan, provides great depth to the safety position.

On an inexpensive deal, Sendejo could be a steal. In addition to veteran leadership, playoff experience and his coverage skills at safety, Sendejo can provide great special teams play. He could be described as a Chris Maragos who plays much better defense, but also comes with much more wear and tear.

Where I don’t like this deal is where it is combined with the Darby signing. Six starting-caliber corners and four starting-caliber safeties in addition to developmental projects like Chandon Sullivan and Deiondre’ Hall makes the defensive back room appear pretty full. It would be hard to roster even more defensive backs, so drafting a DB may force a trade of one of the young, controlled players on the roster. Combine that with the fact that the team is set to lose two safeties and two corners at the end of the season, and this move creates a bit of a nightmare for roster building next offseason.

In a win-now mode, this move could turn out to be a steal that gets the Eagles to where they want to go.

Curry leaving cash on the table to return to Philadelphia is a testament to the culture the team has created. He was in tears frequently following his return to the team.

Curry is not a top-tier player, but he is a very good one that the Birds got at a fairly low cost. Placed in a rotational role, very good players can appear elite, especially if the Eagles use him more in the run game where he shines.

While he provides an exceptional insurance plan for a potential Chris Long retirement and incredible depth otherwise, Curry’s biggest value to the team may be his family feeling after his return.

Curry took the biggest offer last season and chose not to do that and instead opt for the comfort, chemistry and family. If Curry is able to convey how important that is to the young players on the roster, perhaps guys like Jalen Mills, Derek Barnett, Rasul Douglas, Nelson Agholor or Big V will take more team-friendly deals rather than the highest bid. There is a low probability that that actually occurs, but if it works for even one player, the Curry signing will save the team cap space in the long run.

Rodgers provides arguably the best third tight end in the league and helps ensure the team has the top tight end corps in the league, even if Josh Perkins beats him out for a position.

Rodgers isn’t a costly player and provides some special teams play as well as a better blocker at the position. While the move is not likely to have the impact that most of the other moves could have, but it is an excellent depth move and Rodgers already knows the system.

The Eagles really missed their power running game in 2018. They struggled to convert short-yardage third down run plays and lacked the ability to effectively chew the clock at the end of games.

Howard provides that power runner that the team was missing at the cost of a fifth-round pick. The team also gets the option to extend him or cash in on a 2021 compensatory pick when he leaves at the end of the season.

The Birds found a potential steal who was moved because he didn’t fit in Bear’s head coach Matt Nagy’s system, much like Ajayi clashed with Dolphins head coach Adam Gase. If Howard is able to return to his 2016/2017 form, the Eagles are in for a great season, even if he isn’t used as an every-down back.