Money Talk
Posted: February 18th, 2023 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 5 Comments »Howie Roseman did a brilliant job in building the 2022 Eagles roster. His reward is to have a ton of free agents and complicated contract situations to deal with as he builds the 2023 Eagles roster.
One of the challenges is understanding the contract situations of the Eagles players. Howie and the Eagles cap gurus know that, but it is tough for those of us on the outside.
My comprehensive look at key early 2023 NFL offseason dates with financial ramifications or salary cap implications via @CBSSports.https://t.co/ts7WzOXfyd
— Joel Corry (@corryjoel) February 18, 2023
Joel, a former agent, has some helpful info.
Feb. 20
(23 days before start of 2023 League Year)
NFL: The contracts of 19 different players void, including Eagles cornerback James Bradberry and Eagles defensive tackle Javon Hargrave. The Eagles will have $4.972 million and $11.956 million 2023 cap charges from the bonus proration in Bradberry and Hargrave’s voiding contract years. All 19 players will be unrestricted free agents at the start of the 2023 league year.
March 5
(10 days before start of 2023 League Year)
Eagles: Offensive guard Isaac Seumalo’s 2023 through 2026 contract years void. He becomes an unrestricted free agent at the start of the 2023 league year. The Eagles will have a $7.85 million cap charge from Seumalo’s 2023 through 2026 bonus proration after voiding.
March 15
(Day 1 of 2023 League Year)
Eagles: A 10-day window for the Eagles to pick up options in wide A.J. Brown and edge rusher Haason Reddick’s contracts opens. With Brown, a $10.17 million payment is required for a dummy 2027 contract year. His 2023 base salary reduces from a fully-guaranteed $11.25 million to a fully-guaranteed $1.08 million with the option being exercised. Additionally, the remaining $16,470,471 of Brown’s $20.25 million 2024 base salary is fully guaranteed. The other $3,779,529 was fully guaranteed at signing. In Reddick’s case, a $15.17 million payment is required for a dummy 2027 contract year. His 2023 base salary reduces from a fully-guaranteed $16.25 million to a fully-guaranteed $1.08 million with the option being exercised.
More contract info.
While Eagles C Jason Kelce continues to weigh his future, the team paid him a $3M bonus yesterday (the $2.75M roster bonus he was due in 2023 + $250K offseason bonus he was due in 2023).
The cap impact for now is Philly creates $2.4M in 2023 cap space.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) February 17, 2023
The Eagles have done a good job of structuring contracts to give themselves options and allowing for as much flexibility as possible. But boy, has it made things challenging to understand for those of us who aren’t lawyers or contract experts.
Per the Eagles official site, here are the free agents.
Unrestricted Free Agents – Players with four or more accrued seasons whose contract has expired. They are free to sign with any club starting March 15, with no draft-choice compensation owed to the old club.
CB James Bradberry
DT Fletcher Cox
T Andre Dillard
LB T.J. Edwards
S Marcus Epps
S C.J. Gardner-Johnson
DE Brandon Graham
DT Javon Hargrave
DT Linval Joseph
C Jason Kelce
P Brett Kern
QB Gardner Minshew
WR Zach Pascal
DE Robert Quinn
RB Miles Sanders
RB Boston Scott
G Isaac Seumalo
DT Ndamukong Suh
LB Kyzir White
That is a lot of dudes. Unfortunately, the Eagles won’t have the cap space to keep them. Howie and the coaches/ front office will have to prioritize who they want to focus on. That will be a combination of affordability and football ability.
Here are the guys I would focus on.
Jason Kelce
Javon Hargrave
TJ Edwards
Marcus Epps
Kelce remains the best center in football. It would be great to have him for another season. If he does retire, then Seumalo becomes a player you want to bring back. I’m not sure the Eagles can have both.
Hargrave is critical. A good DT will push the pocket. Hargrave is outstanding because he can actually beat blockers and get to the QB himself. The biggest issue will be if the Eagles can afford him.
Nakobe Dean will take one LB spot. It would be good to bring back Edwards to pair with him.
Epps had a solid year. He’s nowhere near CGJ, but that makes him more affordable. The Eagles can pair Epps with Reed Blankenship to form a young safety duo.
Brandon Graham would be great to keep around if they can work out the money. Zach Pascal is another player I’d love to see stick around. He was valuable as a STer and role player on offense.
I hate the thought of losing both James Bradberry and CGJ, but they both want big deals. I think they’ll follow the money.
The Eagles have been able to do all kinds of creative things in past years. They will be more limited this time around. Jalen Hurts will be getting a megadeal that will affect future cap years. They’re paying big money to other star players. The curse of having good players is trying to fit them under the salary cap and keep the team together.
It will be crucial for the Eagles to draft well and find young/cheap talent where they can. Howie has traded up in recent years. This might be a time to move down and add additional picks so you have more chances to find young talent.
It can seem depressing to think of losing so many players. You have to focus on who the Eagles have returning. Almost all of the offense will be back. On defense you have Reddick, Sweat, Milton Williams, Dean, Slay and others. That’s a lot of key pieces to build around. Add in the fact that the Eagles have a pair of first round picks and there is a lot to be excited about.
*****
Here is some info on general spending by NFL teams. Nothing Eagles-centric.
Looking at the teams that will likely be big spenders and the teams that will probably hold back in 2023 based on historical spending trends. https://t.co/cSHVtNqCjE
— Jason_OTC (@Jason_OTC) February 18, 2023
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[…] Money Talk – Iggles BlitzKelce remains the best center in football. It would be great to have him for another season. If he does retire, then Seumalo becomes a player you want to bring back. I’m not sure the Eagles can have both. Hargrave is critical. A good DT will push the pocket. Hargrave is outstanding because he can actually beat blockers and get to the QB himself. The biggest issue will be if the Eagles can afford him. Nakobe Dean will take one LB spot. It would be good to bring back Edwards to pair with him. Epps had a solid year. He’s nowhere near CGJ, but that makes him more affordable. The Eagles can pair Epps with Reed Blankenship to form a young safety duo. Brandon Graham would be great to keep around if they can work out the money. Zach Pascal is another player I’d love to see stick around. He was valuable as a STer and role player on offense. I hate the thought of losing both James Bradberry and CGJ, but they both want big deals. I think they’ll follow the money. […]
[…] Money Talk – Iggles BlitzKelce remains the best center in football. It would be great to have him for another season. If he does retire, then Seumalo becomes a player you want to bring back. I’m not sure the Eagles can have both. Hargrave is critical. A good DT will push the pocket. Hargrave is outstanding because he can actually beat blockers and get to the QB himself. The biggest issue will be if the Eagles can afford him. Nakobe Dean wants to take one LB spot. It would be good to bring back Edwards to pair with him. Epps had a solid year. He’s nowhere near CGJ, but that makes him more affordable. The Eagles can pair Epps with Reed Blankenship to form a young safety duo. Brandon Graham would be great to keep around if they can work out the money. Zach Pascal is another player I’d love to see stick around. He was valuable as a STer and role player on offense. I hate the thought of losing both James Bradberry and CGJ, but they both want big deals. I think they’ll follow the money. […]
[…] Money Talk – Iggles BlitzKelce remains the best center in football. It would be great to have him for another season. If he does retire, then Seumalo becomes a player you want to bring back. I’m not sure the Eagles can have both. Hargrave is critical. A good DT will push the pocket. Hargrave is outstanding because he can actually beat blockers and get to the QB himself. The biggest issue will be if the Eagles can afford him. Nakobe Dean will take one LB spot. It would be good to bring back Edwards to pair with him. Epps had a solid year. He’s nowhere near CGJ, but that makes him more affordable. The Eagles can pair Epps with Reed Blankenship to form a young safety duo. Brandon Graham would be great to keep around if they can work out the money. Zach Pascal is another player I’d love to see stick around. He was valuable as a STer and role player on offense. I hate the thought of losing both James Bradberry and CGJ, but they both want big deals. I think they’ll follow the money. […]
[…] Money Talk – Iggles BlitzKelce remains the best center in football. It would be great to have him for another season. If he does retire, then Seumalo becomes a player you want to bring back. I’m not sure the Eagles can have both. Hargrave is critical. A good DT will push the pocket. Hargrave is outstanding because he can actually beat blockers and get to the QB himself. The biggest issue will be if the Eagles can afford him. Nakobe Dean will take one LB spot. It would be good to bring back Edwards to pair with him. Epps had a solid year. He’s nowhere near CGJ, but that makes him more affordable. The Eagles can pair Epps with Reed Blankenship to form a young safety duo. Brandon Graham would be great to keep around if they can work out the money. Zach Pascal is another player I’d love to see stick around. He was valuable as a STer and role player on offense. I hate the thought of losing both James Bradberry and CGJ, but they both want big deals. I think they’ll follow the money. […]
[…] Money Talk – Iggles BlitzKelce remains the best center in football. It would be great to have him for another season. If he does retire, then Seumalo becomes a player you want to bring back. I’m not sure the Eagles can have both. Hargrave is critical. A good DT will push the pocket. Hargrave is outstanding because he can actually beat blockers and get to the QB himself. The biggest issue will be if the Eagles can afford him. Nakobe Dean will take one LB spot. It would be good to bring back Edwards to pair with him. Epps had a solid year. He’s nowhere near CGJ, but that makes him more affordable. The Eagles can pair Epps with Reed Blankenship to form a young safety duo. Brandon Graham would be great to keep around if they can work out the money. Zach Pascal is another player I’d love to see stick around. He was valuable as a STer and role player on offense. I hate the thought of losing both James Bradberry and CGJ, but they both want big deals. I think they’ll follow the money. […]