3 Moves Eagles Should Make With Their $21 Million in Cap Space
By Brian Cass
The Philadelphia Eagles and GM Howie Roseman have been quite busy this offseason. They've brought in a handful of players like Malik Jackson and DeSean Jackson, and they've also cleared up a solid amount of cap space by restructuring some of the more expensive contracts on the team. Now, they have $21 million in cap space to work with before the start of the season. They don't have any glaring holes that need to be filled, but there's still room for improvement at certain positions. Here's a few moves the Birds could make with their remaining cap space to shore up some of these spots.
1. Get Carson Wentz a Long-term Deal
Many analysts have speculated that the main reason Roseman has been clearing up all this cap space is to sign his franchise quarterback to a long-term deal. Carson Wentz may be coming off his second season-ending injury in a row, but signing him now makes sense from a cap perspective. He'll never be cheaper than he is right now unless he somehow has yet another season-ending injury in 2019 (fingers crossed!). But in all likelihood, Wentz is getting a huge deal from the Eagles regardless of what happens this season. Signing him to reasonable extension now would allow the Eagles to continue to bolster their roster through free agency during each offseason, something he's thrived at in recent years. The GM has expressed his interest in getting a deal done sooner than later, so don't be surprised if Wentz has a spiffy new contract before the start of training camp.
2. Sign Defensive End Andre Branch
The Eagles already possess one of the best defensive front sevens in all of football. It's also one of the deepest units in the league, and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz loves to utilize a solid pass rushing rotation to keep the pressure up. But after trading second-leading sack man Michael Bennett to the New England Patriots and with Chris Long still on the fence concerning retirement, the Birds could use another pass rusher in their rotation. Andre Branch could be that guy, and he would be relatively cheap, too. The former Dolphin is coming off his worst season as a pro, but with a reduced role in Philly, he could have a bounce-back year as a situational pass rusher. The Eagles' edge attack was a huge reason they took home the Lombardi Trophy two years ago, if they want to take home another this season, that rotation will need to be solidified.
3. Sign Veteran Corner Brent Grimes
The Birds' secondary last season suffered a multitude of injuries, and their lack of depth there haunted them throughout the year. On paper, they have a solid number of corners to work with, but many of them are young, and you can never have too many cover guys in today's NFL. Bringing in someone with Brent Grimes' pedigree would solidify that group and add a veteran presence to the mix. He's not the Pro Bowl corner he used to be back in Atlanta and Miami, but in the right situation he still has the ability to contribute. The injury bug can bite at any moment in the NFL, and the Eagles experienced that first-hand last season with their cornerbacks. Signing Grimes would add seasoned depth to a position where the Eagles sorely need it.