Day 1 of the legal tampering period in the NFL is in the books. It was certainly an interesting one.
Here are some thoughts on what the Eagles did — and what moves they passed on.
Hargrave: Javon Hargrave is going to make the Eagles better and help them on all three levels of the defense. That is how important a really good defensive tackle is and how much impact one can have. If Hargrave plays up to his potential, he will make his teammates on the defensive line better by commanding more attention, he will make the linebackers better by playing strong against the run and he will make the cornerbacks better by collapsing the pocket. He can have have an impact that a cornerback can't.
The Eagles gave Hargrave a big deal but not a cap-crippling one. An average of $13 million over three years isn't cheap, but it is very manageable and fair for a player of Hargrave's talent and age. They may not say it publicly, but privately the Eagles likely view Hargraves as their most important defensive tackle, considering Fletcher Cox will be 30 next season and Malik Jackson is coming off of a season-ending foot injury. Hargrave is the future of the defensive tackle position.
In 2020, things could feel a little bit crowded along the line. The Eagles now have five players along the defensive line they have invested big assets in — Cox, Hargrave, Jackson, Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett. All five are players either paid enough or drafted high enough that they should be on the field making plays on important downs. That won't be happening now unless the Eagles start playing five defensive linemen.
How the Eagles will distribute playing time, and who plays on the important downs, will be very interesting to see.
Odd signing: The signing of Hargrave makes sense for all the reasons listed above. Still, there is just something head-scratching about the Eagles first big movie being a nose tackle. The offseason is far from over, but if the NFL Draft comes and the Eagles' biggest move was an interior defensive linemen, it will certainly be an outcome not many saw coming considering all of the needs they have on both sides of the ball.
Byron Jones: The Eagles' Plan A was to sign Byron Jones. That was no secret. They didn't get the job done, something that has to be disappointing for a front office that clearly saw Jones as a difference maker for their defense. The good news is that they likely dodged a bullet by missing out on Jones. Jones is a good cornerback, but he simply wasn't a difference maker during his four years in Dallas. Overpaying in free agency is one thing and is going to happen. Bringing in a player who you need to make a difference that hasn't shown he can do it is another. The signing would have been a disaster for the Eagles.
Wide Receivers: Kyler Murray got DeAndre Hopkins. Josh Allen got Stefon Diggs. Dak Prescott got Amari Cooper. Three teams, all trying to both win now and help their young quarterback, made big moves on the first day of free agency. The Eagles weren't one of them and that is disappointing no matter how you slice it. None of the players were cheap — Hopkins will command a huge new deal, Diggs cost four draft picks, Cooper cost $100 million. But considering how big of a need receiver is for the Eagles it is shocking they didn't close the deal on any of the three elite receivers that were available on Monday. The pressure is now very much on to land an elite receiver in the NFL Draft — and for that player to perform like one right away.
Where are the big moves?: Howie Roseman has a reputation around the NFL as being extremely aggressive as a general manager. He is viewed as always being open to making a trade, always open to signing big free agents and always being in on every good player that becomes available. That might be true, but sooner or later, Roseman is going to need to close one of these deals. Jadaveon Clowney, Jalen Ramsey, DeAndre Hopkins, Antonio Brown, Stefon Diggs, Amari Cooper and LeVeon Bell have all changed teams over the last year. None of them ended up in Philadelphia. You can go through each situation and rationalize why the Eagles didn't make a move, or point to the player not working out with his new team. Add everything up, however, and the idea that Roseman is an aggressive general manager that makes big moves simply hasn't been true.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
