Looking for Money

The Eagles looked under the couch cushions and guess what they found.

The #Eagles have some cap work to do, and that focus has begun: They just restructured CB Darius Slay’s contract to create $9.14M in salary cap room, source said.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 5, 2021

I’m excited to find a quarter. They must have been really excited to find $9M in cap space.

This isn’t the only deal to get re-worked.

The #Eagles and C Jason Kelce have agreed on a new deal for 2021, paying him $9M fully guaranteed at signing and potentially up to $12M, source said. He announced on Instagram he’s back for another season.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 5, 2021

Sources confirm that @LaneJohnson65 and the eagles are working on restructuring his deal …

— Derrick Gunn (@RealDGunn) March 5, 2021

The Eagles still have plenty of work to do to get under the salary cap. They had made the obvious moves up to this point in cutting DeSean Jackson, Alshon Jeffery and Malik Jackson. Now the team had to turn to being more creative. These moves will certainly help. There is more to be done.

One of the toughest questions is what to do with Derek Barnett. He’s due $10M this year. I would like him to get signed to an extension that would lower his salary in 2021 and also keep him around for several years. The new staff has to study Barnett and decide he’s worth the money he’ll cost. He won’t be cheap.

We know Zach Ertz will be traded or cut. We’ll just have to see how that situation plays out.

According to Over The Cap, the Eagles still need to trim $34m to get under the cap. The good news is that the Saints and Rams are now in worse shape. Don’t worry, there are still plenty of moves to be made.

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It is good to know that Kecle is coming back. As I wrote the other day, the Eagles need veterans to return to help this team be competitive and to help teach the young players who will be brought in.

The fact that Brandon Graham and Jason Kelce are so willing to come back should go a long way to disprove the notion that this is some ridiculously dysfunctional organization. That idea has been massively overstated this offseason

— Tom Kelly (@TommyKelly44) March 5, 2021

I don’t totally agree with that. There certainly is a positive spin to put on their return. It does show that good players want to be here.

The flip side is that both guys are Eagles lifers. They have families that have lived in Philly for a decade or more. Kelce and BG value staying put on a personal and professional level.

The Eagles are still very dysfunctional. The firing of the coaching staff and trading of Wentz are odd moves for a team that had been so successful in recent years. Moving on from Wentz and Doug Pederson might help settle things down. And you can bet Kelce and BG do think about their legacy.

Beyond that, Kelce probably has outside hopes at the Hall of Fame. The best way to get there is to stay in one place, working with a coach you love and in a system you know well.

Since the 1970 merger, only six @NFL centers have been named first-team All-Pro at least three times:

6 – Dermontti Dawson *
5 – Mike Webster *
4 – Dwight Stephenson *
3 – Jason Kelce
3 – Jim Langer *
3 – Kevin Mawae *

* @ProFootballHOF

— John Gonoude (@john_gonoude) March 5, 2021

I don’t think Kelce will make it, but he does have a chance. If the team can bounce back and he can have another couple of good years, maybe he’ll have a case for Canton. He is a unique offensive lineman.

https://twitter.com/LibertyLinePHL/status/1367922270736424963

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