What Can Philadelphia Eagles Do to Clear More Salary-Cap Space for 2015?: For the Philadelphia Eagles, the next several months provide an opportunity for the coaching staff and front office to evaluate whether this team is talented enough to contend in 2015. This year was plagued by a myriad of factors—quarterback play, injuries and a secondary that couldn’t stop anyone down the stretch. How can the Eagles improve their roster for next year? Are they just a player away in free agency, or will they need to continue setting the foundation for a run in 2016 or 2017? There are a handful of intriguing free agents who could entice Philadelphia should the organization be interested, but first, the Eagles will need to clear out more cap space. Per Over the Cap, the Eagles currently have close to $140 million committed to players for the 2015 season. According to ProFootballTalks Mike Florio, the NFL salary cap is projected to be at $140-145 million, which means Philadelphia doesn’t currently have a lot of extra space. That first number is in no way set in stone, considering NFL contracts are not guaranteed. Each player will be heavily evaluated in the offseason, with the coaching staff making judgment calls based on obvious factors like his skill level, age, injury history and current salary, but also more debatable factors like long-term importance, replaceability and commitment to the Chip Kelly way of football. There’s going to be room to make a run at a Darrelle Revis- or Devin McCourty-type player should the team feel it necessary. But that’s not typically Philly’s style, especially not since the Dream Team debacle of 2011 that saw high-profile free agents, notably Nnamdi Asomugha, backfire miserably. Aside from 2011 though, Howie Roseman has proved to be a master at managing Philadelphias finances while putting forth the team with the best chance to win now. This will be another opportunity for Roseman to prove his worth, and how he handles the future of quarterback Nick Foles will play a big role in the upcoming Eagles seasons. It’s not unreasonable to consider extending Foles now. Bleacher Report writer Andrew Kulp makes an interesting case in The 700 Level on CSN Phillys website for why the Eagles should offer Foles, whose contract is set to expire after 2015, a short-term extension now. It’s highly unlikely to happen, but it theoretically could save the Eagles money in the upcoming seasons. Could there be another controversial release like DeSean Jacksons last spring? There may be, although letting go of Jackson and having to play Riley Cooper all season didnt work out too well. The obvious candidate for offseason release would be LeSean McCoy, whose $11.9 million base salary for ’15 makes him set to be the second-highest paid running back next year. That’s a lot of money to pay for one position, and if Chip Kelly and the Eagles determine they can get production close to McCoy’s from a combination of Sproles, Polk and a draft pick, that may be the route they take. There is a handful of veterans who could all see their tenure with Philadelphia end—Trent Cole, DeMeco Ryans, Cary Williams, Todd Herremans and James Casey. Cole has a 2015 cap hit of $11.6 million. He’s clearly not worth that, and he would likely be open to taking a pay cut to stay with the team. Trent Cole on restructuring contract: I want to do whatever I can to make things work, and hopefully it results in me being here. ... — Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) December 29, 2014 Cole is still a good player, racking up 6.5 sacks and three forced fumbles from a stand-up outside linebacker position. What happens with Cole depends largely on the future of Brandon Graham, the team’s 2010 first-round pick. Graham was a tremendous all-around player last year, and he will command a hefty price tag in the open market. Those two players combined for $10 million against the cap in 2014. Restructuring Cole down to about $4 million and letting Graham walk would give the Eagles an additional $6 million in spending money. Ryans will be 31 years old next season, and he’s coming off a torn Achilles tendon that cost him the final eight games of ’14. The fact that the Eagles didn’t really miss too much of a beat hurts his case to come back; cutting Ryans outright would save close to $7 million against the cap. It’s likely that this move happens. NJ’s Eliot Shorr-Parks thinks that Ryans won’t be back in 2015 at his current price, and it would take a restructure for Ryans to return. Williams is slated to make $8.1 million in 2015. Nothing about Williams’ personality suggests he will be open to a pay cut. The Eagles have made it clear they prefer nickel cornerback Brandon Boykin against slot receivers, but perhaps they could play Boykin outside and go with a free agent (Byron Maxwell and Kareem Jackson are solid choices) opposite him. That would allow the Eagles to release Williams outright, and this would save Philadelphia another $6.5 million. Todd Herremans is the longest-tenured offensive player, a 10-year starter at multiple spots on the line. He’s coming off a season-ending injury, and his backup, Andrew Gardner, filled in well. The Eagles also extended Allen Barbre to a three-year deal last offseason, which suggests he’s expected to be an integral part of their future. Releasing Herremans adds close to another $3 million to the team’s available cap space. Casey played limited snaps as a third tight end, and it’s unlikely he returns at $4 million. The Eagles will also assuredly move on from Mark Sanchez, Bradley Fletcher and Nate Allen, which gives Philly another $9 million to spend next season. That’s close to an additional $35 million for Philadelphia to sign players this offseason. Some of that cash will have to be devoted to 2015 draft picks, but there is room to make a splash in free agency. Revis and McCourty will be available, and each would be a godsend for this secondary. The Eagle way is more to sign mid-level talent and hope to coax great seasons out of those players. Fortunately for Philadelphia, there’s a lot of cap flexibility available, and Roseman will have another opportunity to add top talent at practical prices. Read more NFL news on BleacherReport #Football #NFL #NFCEast #PhiladelphiaEagles
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 06:43:14 +0000
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