So Much Excitement

The NFL offseason got underway on Monday. It was a big day for the Eagles, with all kinds of moves being made. So much fun! Oh wait, it was actually only a big day for ex-Eagles.

Another move for the #Patriots. They’re adding DB Jalen Mills on a four-year, $24 million deal, source says. The former #Eagles corner and safety will take his versatility to Foxboro.

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 15, 2021

Patriots are giving former Raiders’ WR Nelson Agholor a two-year, $26 million deal, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2021

The #Broncos are giving CB Ronald Darby a 3-year, $30M deal, source said, with $19.5M fully guaranteed.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 15, 2021

The #Jaguars strike again: They’re signing safety Rudy Ford to a two-year, $4.2 million deal, per source.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 15, 2021

What the what???

I’m happy for Jalen Mills. He is a good dude and has been a solid player. One of his strengths is his versatility and no coach is better at using that than Bill Belichick. It will be interesting to see what he does with Mills.

I’m shocked Agholor and Darby got the money they did. Both have proven to be effective starters, but both have major deficiencies. Good for them, I guess.

Ford is a special teams star. Urban Meyer has always emphasized STs so going after Ford makes sense from that perspective.

As for the Philadelphia Eagles team…they did…nothing. This isn’t a major surprise. They have a limited budget. They have to be careful shoppers. They will be going straight to the clearance section to see what’s available. The first day of action is for the big spenders. That’s just not the Eagles this year.

There was a rumor that they showed interest in FS John Johnson, but he signed with the Browns. I think that was the only Eagles rumor I saw all day. Don’t expect there to be a lot of action today. The Eagles might be quiet for several days. Players are going to focus on teams that have money and can offer the best deals. The Eagles might have to wait for things to settle down to go bargain hunting.

I lied. The Eagles did make one move.

We’ve signed DE Brandon Graham to a one-year contract extension.@Toyota | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/vfEkYtZKLt

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) March 15, 2021

This was done to help clear more cap space. They need to make a couple of more deals to keep cutting salary and creating more space. Some of that will happen on Wednesday, when the league year technically begins and moves become official rather than just “agreed to”.

I know it is frustrating to watch other teams making moves and for the Eagles to sit on their hands. This team needs help, but can’t go get it right now. But there is something to be said for sitting out the beginning of free agency. Some of the worst signings are the ones that happen the fastest. More than a few guys who changed teams yesterday will be changing again in a year or two.

The Eagles don’t win Super Bowl LII without Patrick Robinson, Chris Long and LeGarrette Blount. Robinson and Long were added a couple of weeks after free agency began. Blount was added a couple of months after it began. Being smart shoppers is better than being fast.

There is still plenty of talent to be had. It is up to Howie and the personnel department to go find it.

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