BREAKING: Eagles release S Kevin Byard & free up $14M in cap space

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Philadelphia Eagles will be releasing veteran safety Kevin Byard.

The move was widely anticipated for a few reasons. He did have an option year, but was the only player the Eagles could cut before June 1, who would save them substantial money. His release frees up around $14M in cap space, which would give the Eagles around $40M in cap space to work with going into a crucial offseason.

As Schefter noted, Byard was acquired during the heart of the regular season in exchange for some late-round draft picks and Terrell Edmunds. The 30-year-old is a 2x Pro Bowler and was brought in to provide some much-needed stability on the back end. Unfortunately, it didn’t pan out as many hoped.

While his leadership qualities were visible from the jump and he did have some big moments, including a big interception against the Chiefs, his play just wasn’t quite what was needed to lift a struggling Eagles secondary out of the mud.

The team will look to replace Byard this offseason and there are some interesting candidates to note. Eddie Jackson is of a similar age and of course once thrived under new defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio. The Eagles do have Reed Blankenship entrenched as a starter and although Sydney Brown will be rehabbing an injury to start 2024, he figures to be a key cog in the secondary for years to come. Bringing in some veteran help to bridge the gap will help, but it’s clear an upgrade was necessary.

Kevin Byard ended his Philadelphia tenure with 75 tackles and an interception.