The Eagles went into the start of free agency with around $44 million in cap space, and over the last week, that number has changed considerably.
Here is a breakdown of where the Eagles seem to stand in terms of available salary cap space after a flurry of moves:
Hargrave: The biggest deal handed out by the Eagles so far was to defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, a three-year, $39 million deal. Over The Cap has the details of that contract.
The cap hits:
2020: $3.4 million
2021: $15.2 million
2022: $15.4 million
The cap hit in 2020 is small, but as you can see, it raises significantly in 2021.
The Hargrave deal costs the Eagles $3.4 million in cap space for 2020, bringing them down to around $40 million.
Rodney McLeod: The Eagles signed Rodney McLeod to a two-year deal that includes around $8 million in guaranteed money. The first year of the deal is holds a cap hit of $1.65 million, which brings the Eagles down to around $38.5 million in cap space.
Jalen Mills: Mills is back with the Eagles on a one-year deal that could be worth up to $5 million with incentives. His cap hit is going to be lower than the $5 million the deal could be worth, however, coming in at $4 million. The Mills' signing brings the Eagles down to around $34.5 million in cap space.
Nate Sudfeld: The Eagles bringing back Nate Sudfeld is a bit surprising, but getting him on a one-year deal worth $2 million was a smart decision considering his familiarity with the offense and his close relationship with Carson Wentz. Sudfeld’s deal brings the Eagles to around $32.5 million in cap space.
Darius Slay: The Eagles' decision to land cornerback Darius Slay was not a cheap one. In addition to giving up a third-and-fifth-round pick, the Eagles have handed Slay a three-year, $50 million deal with $30 million guaranteed, per ESPN. The cap hit for 2020 comes is at a very low $4.3 million, bringing the Eagles down to around $28.2 million.
Malcolm Jenkins: The decision to move on from Malcolm Jenkins hurts the defense and the team overall, but it did save the team around $5 million in cap space, bringing their number back up to around $33.2 million.
Will Parks: Parks reportedly signed a
one-year, $1.6 million deal with the Eagles, bringing the Eagles down to around $31.6 million left to spend.
Jatavis Brown: The one-year deal for Brown is reportedly worth $675,000, according to ESPN. That deal is a pretty clear sign that although the Eagles want him to make the team, Brown is not guaranteed a roster spot and will have to earn his playing time in training camp. In terms of cap space, this deal doesn’t make much of an impact, and brings the Eagles down to around $30.1 million in cap space.
Nickell Robey-Coleman: The Eagles new starting nickel cornerback got a one-year, $1 million deal with the potential for it to reach $1.3 million, according to an
ESPN report. That brings the Eagles down to around $29.1 million in cap space.
Estimated Remaining Cap Space: $29.1 million
Other potential cap-saving moves the team could make:
Trade Sidney Jones: It is hard to say what kind of market would be out there for Jones, and it is possible that if they don’t get much in return, they will decide to bring Jones back and give him another chance at carving out a role on the team. Cutting or trading Jones would give the team around $1 million in extra salary cap space.
Trade Rasul Douglas: There will likely be more teams interested in Douglas than Jones, who has played more and has shown he can be a quality starting cornerback when he is given the chance. Douglas might return more in a trade, but he is also a more valuable part of the roster, as he has been the team’s go-to starter on the outside when they have had injuries at cornerback. Trading Douglas would save the team around $2 million, and after a recent report the team is shopping him, it seems their plan is to move on from him.
The Alshon Jeffery Question: The big-spending the team has done so far in free agency is quickly making it tougher to move on from Alshon Jeffery. If the Eagles decide to outright cut Jeffery they would lose around $11 million in salary cap space, which after all of their moves is a pretty significant blow to their available space. According to Over The Cap if they released Jeffery with a post-June 1st cut designation they would lose only around $1 million in cap space this year, but their would be dead money on the 2021 cap then as well.
Ideally the Eagles would able to trade him. If they can find a taker for Jeffery the Eagles would only lose around $1 million in salary cap space. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Eagles package a pick with Jeffery to convince another team to take on his contract.
The bottom line, however, is that the Eagles’ ability to cut Jeffery is slowly slipping away the more moves they make.
You can follow Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
