Eagles' early offseason outlook: What changes are on the horizon?

Coming off their 2019 bye week, the Eagles are staring down a tough home-stay in which they will welcome the 8-1 New England Patriots and 8-2 Seattle Seahawks in successive weeks. With four of five of the final games of the season being played against division rivals, the playoff picture for the Eagles is quickly materializing. The next two weeks will undoubtedly shape the pathway Philadelphia must take to return to the playoffs for a third straight season. The "three-peat" would be the first time since 2010 the Birds have made the playoffs in three consecutive seasons. 2010 was also the year that the team bid farewell to longtime Eagles Jason Babin (for the second time), Jeremiah Trotter (for the third time), Brian Westbrook and Donovan McNabb; going to show that even successful teams need to adapt to stay competitive. To head the changes, the front office promoted current GM Howie Roseman to his post, and the new age Eagles began to take shape. That year, with multiple players looking for new deals, the team retained their key playmakers and trimmed the fat, preparing for another run at a title. This season, the team faces a similar juncture. My last article outlined what would need to happen for the Eagles to retain as many players as possible and still be competitive in free agency. You can check out that article here:

https://phillysportsnetwork.com/2019/11/05/same/

This week, we take an early approach to the offseason that mimics that of 2009-2010: with some tough financial decisions to be made, the Birds can't keep everyone. In an attempt to harness Carson Wentz' prime years, the Eagles could make some quick swaps to revitalize the team without making any controversial or high-risk moves. Let's begin with the names already on the roster with expiring contracts. Re-sign/ Let Walk

Estimated 2020 Cap Space (Spotrac)		$38.5M
Nate Sudfeld	Re-sign	$3.5M
Josh McCown	Retire	--
Jordan Howard	Walk	--
Darren Sproles	Retire	--
Corey Clement (RFA)	Walk	--
Nelson Agholor	Walk	--
Jason Peters	Retire	--
Halapoulivaati Vaitai	Re-Sign	$3.0M
Vinny Curry	Walk	--
Tim Jernigan	Walk	--
Hassan Ridgeway	Re-sign	$2.0M
Nigel Bradham*	Opt in	[$9.7M]
Kamu Grugier-Hill	Re-sign	$4.5M
Rodney McLeod	Re-sign	$4.0M
Jalen Mills	Walk	--
Ronald Darby	Re-sign	$5.5M
Andrew Sendejo	Walk	--
Rick Lovato	Re-sign	$1.0M
Jake Elliott (RFA)	Re-sign	$2.5M
Salaries		- $26.0M
Remaining Cap Space		$12.5M

*Club option Quarterbacks Even with limited minutes to his name, the Eagles see Nate Sudfeld as the backup of the future and will likely offer him a similar contract to last season. Undoubtedly, there will be other teams interested in his services and offering him a contract doesn't necessitate another year in Philly. The front office may have to pay a little extra to keep their backup of the future in town. The underlying value is that he could make a very valuable trade piece if the Eagles do decide to bring in a veteran ringer. Josh McCown was already retired before the Eagles picked up the phone and the assumption is that he will return to retirement after the season is over. Running Backs As much of a revelation Jordan Howard has been in midnight green this season, the Eagles' track record of spending on running backs is working against him. With Miles Sanders showing his wings, it's difficult to justify spending starter money on a rotational piece. Add that to the fact that the Birds just brought back Jay Ajayi and the future outlook for Howard is looking a tad grimmer. While it's likely Ajayi isn't on the team at the start of next year's season, it goes to show that Howie believes he can bring in an early-down back off the street and squeeze him into the rotation without much fuss. Truthfully, Howard could be a starter for many teams across the league and should have no trouble being financially compensated as such. According to reports, he wants to be in Philadelphia, but whether he will take less money to remain an Eagle is yet to be seen. My guess is that the bruiser has played himself out of Howie Roseman's budget. Again plagued by injuries, this wasn’t the comeback season Darren Sproles had planned. He's a gamer and will likely go into retirement kicking and screaming, but he's earned it. Ending his career on IR is a true shame and one hopes it won't tarnish his legacy as he bids for a Hall of Fame jacket. Corey Clement simply can’t stay healthy and Boston Scott has played himself into the 3rd running back role. The Eagles will have a chance to match any offer sheets from other teams, so it will depend on how Clement is valued. He’s been a hometown favorite in Philly since his rookie year but hasn’t been able to stay on the field since. Now with some extra cash, do the Eagles give him one last chance at redemption? Receivers It's hard to see how Nelson Agholor turns his season around enough for the Eagles to justify keeping him around. After an electric third season, everyone was hoping Agholor was finally realizing his potential. Instead, he has fallen back into a routine of drops and a lack of effort; not a great look for a young player in a contract year. With Willie Snead getting $6M from the Ravens for one season, it's very unlikely Agholor's price tag would be any less. Some team out there will be willing to take a chance on his potential. Offensive Line Akin to Darren Sproles, Jason Peters’ season hasn’t gone as planned. Andre Dillard has looked good in relief, although Peters is still "the starter". The fight he has shown to stay on the football field is admirable, but at this point in his career, he has nothing left to prove. He too has earned his retirement. The Eagles value depth along the line too much to let Halapoulivaati Vaitai walk out the door. After an on-again-off-again relationship with Stefen Wisniewski, Philadelphia seems to have found their next space filler. In this scenario, he gets a little less than former first-round pick Ereck Flowers, which seems like a reasonable price for both parties. With a reasonable contract, the young versatile lineman may make a nifty little trade piece. Continued on the page below. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports Defensive Linemen Vinny Curry bleeds midnight green. While he’s not the same Vinny Curry he was in his last stint with the Birds, he is still a very solid rotational run-stopper and has plenty of experience to offer a young group of pass rushers. The Eagles could probably convince him to stay for a hometown discount, but they could also use that money to flash at a free agent. If the price tag is right, there's no reason the Eagles shouldn't bring him back. However, the team's young players need all the playing time they can get, and it's unclear if Curry is ready to concede a chunk of his already limited snaps (approximately 33.6%). As much as Tim Jernigan brings to this defense, availability is not one of them. Even though he -- begrudgingly -- took a pay cut to be here last season, it seems unlikely he would double down. The Eagles will have Malik Jackson back at some point and are very high on Hassan Ridgeway as a third defensive tackle. The Eagles need someone that can stay healthy opposite Fletcher Cox, and Jernigan has not. As a personal favorite, Jernigan will be missed, but will have no trouble finding another team in the spring. Speaking of Hassan Ridgeway, it looks as if the Eagles have pegged him as the man for the future. He’s still a young player and doesn’t have the stat sheet that Jernigan does, but he should be extended a similar deal to the one Timmy played under this season. That number may rise depending on his performances yet to come, but for now it seems justified. Linebackers Time again to consider Nigel Bradham's affordability. Admittedly, his contract is too expensive. However, the way he fits the defense makes him hard to eschew. On top of that, free-agent linebacking options will be somewhat limited, especially compared to this summer -- when the Eagles did not acquire any of the top linebacker prospects and recently cut the one they did pick up. The Eagles feel pretty confident in TJ Edwards right now. If they feel he can take over, the team will have a club option on Bradham’s deal both this year and next. In this scenario, they keep him but may ask him to restructure or look to trade him for a mid to late-round pick. Kamu Grugier-Hill looks like he’ll be in the Eagles plans for the foreseeable future. He still hasn’t cemented himself as a full-time starter, but the Birds may be willing to pay him. $4.5M/year is the same as Mychal Kendricks got from Seattle, and a tad less than Kyle Van Noy and Kiko Alonso received from New England and Miami, respectively. Defensive Backs Rodney McLeod's figure is straightforward. $4.5M is more than he made last season after reworking his contract but less than he was offered in the original deal. The dreadful performance of the Eagles secondary has overshadowed just how good of a player McLeod has been. With Malcolm Jenkins slowly edging towards retirement, the Eagles are in a position where they need to keep McLeod. The team has watched young safety after young safety stroll over to other teams and it doesn't seem as if Rudy Ford is being groomed for a defensive role. While the Eagles' depth at cornerback shows much more promise, the team has again painted itself into a corner -- no pun intended. Realistically, the Birds need to keep either Jalen Mills, Ronald Darby, or make a move for a free-agent starter. Rasul Douglas has demonstrated both his ceiling and his floor; the former is truly hope-inducing, the latter is straight-up ugly. The Sidney Jones experiment may be over and done with after this season. Cre'von Leblanc has not yet been activated from IR, which is not the news Eagles fans were hoping for. Realistically, the man has only started 14 regular-season games in his three-year career and he can't be expected to single-handedly spark a 180. With the current uncertainty surrounding the Eagles medical staff, the team may do well not to rush Leblanc back from injury, even if he is showing signs of health. It's been a theme of late for players to return only to re-aggravate existing injuries or suffer related ones. Regarding Andrew Sendejo, the Eagles have always valued their 3rd safety position, but they have had success finding someone to fill the void in free agency. Plus, it may finally be the year for the Eagles to draft Malcolm Jenkins' successor after the team being connected to so many safety prospects last April. Expect Sendejo to field offers for more money or an expanded role. Special Teams Rick Lovato’s contract will be similar to his current one. $1M is rounded up. Jake Elliott has been one of the most consistent kickers in the league over the last three seasons. $2.5M is at the low end of the upper echelon kickers. It may seem steep, but in all honesty, the final contract may actually amount to more. Plenty of teams will be willing to shell out good money for a dependable kicker and the Eagles do not want to have kicking problems. Whatever the final offer is from other teams, the Eagles will get a chance to match. Restructure and trade candidates are listed on the next page .Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports Restructure The last article included a full break down of the money Philadelphia can save by restructuring a few major contracts. While the full analysis won't be included here, feel free to check it out using the previous link. The gist of it is as follows (all numbers provided by Spotrac): The Eagles already have quite a few backloaded contracts on their books and cannot afford to frivolously prorate payments without suffering eventual consequences. That being said, the team could save a maximum of $19.7M by restructuring the contracts of Fletcher Cox, Alshon Jeffery, and Brandon Graham. If the front office is able to convince Nigel Bradham to restructure, that number could jump to $25M. However, a generous portion of Bradham's $9.8M contract could become dead money if the Eagles decided to move on, which may be the case with the youth movement happening in the linebacking room. The Eagles won't save any significant money by restructuring the contracts of Carson Wentz, Jason Kelce or Isaac Seumalo. Kelce is criminally underpaid, Seumalo was a bargain and Carson's contract doesn't take a huge leap in pay until 2021. All other viable contracts could put massive stress on next year's cap space. The new addition to this section is in regards to the recently extended Brandon Brooks. In a very Howie-like fashion, Brooks' contract is quite supportive of a future restructure. The Birds could save a maximum of $5.3M next season, which would be prorated over the next 5 years. That would bring the total money saved to a whopping $30.3M. It's not likely that the final number reaches that tally, but even half that amount -- along with the $12.5M saved from letting current players walk -- would allow the team to be active in free agency. Trades While we will examine a scenario in which the Eagles make a number of drastic offseason moves in the next article, this section will list a few options Howie may have in the way of reasonable trade candidates. The first on the list is Alshon Jeffery. The team spent a second-round pick on Stanford WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, who many tagged as a young Alshon in their pre-draft analysis. It is no secret that the Eagles brought him in to eventually succeed Jeffery. While the rookie hasn't seen much of the field so far this season, an injury to Alshon in conjunction with some strong practice performances has paved the way for a late-season breakout from the young man. The chemistry between Carson Wentz and Jeffery has never reached the level of he and Nick Foles, leading some to believe the partnership may simply be a bad fit. There is no doubting the receiver's talent, but the truth of the matter is he is slowly becoming a lesser part of the offense. A new offensive game plan and some offseason reps could change that, but as it stands it looks as if -- at the very least -- Alshon will not be extended when his contract expires. Therefore, the Eagles may look for a willing trade partner. With regards to trading him away, Jeffery absolutely has the talent and pedigree to entice offers from other teams. He can still contribute and may even flourish in an offense that puts him in a central role. The Eagles have an immediate replacement on the roster if they feel JJAW has progressed, and an opportunity to start fresh with WR-QB chemistry. However, financially, the Eagles would actually lose $499,500 by trading Alshon, with a bulk of his salary transferring to dead cap space ($16.1M total). That is something that could be negotiated in the terms of the trade, but it's unlikely a new team would be willing to completely absorb that debt. Alshon's contract is an example of how backloading a deal can eventually work to handcuff a team's options. The next candidate for trade is linebacker Nigel Bradham. Similar to Jeffery, there is no denying Bradham's talent, but he is slowly showing signs of aging and may eventually be phased out of the defense. The decision to trade him will have much more to do with how the Birds feel about their young crop of 'backers. To start the season, Bradham was a staple of the defense, but being sidelined due to injury prompted the Eagles to look for solutions elsewhere on the roster. With the arrival of rookie T.J. Edwards and trust starting to build with third-year player Nathan Gerry, the team may feel that Bradham is expendable. The team could save $4.5M next season by shipping him away, but they would incur $5.3M of dead cap. For a trade to happen, the Eagles would have to opt in to Bradham's current contract, which begs the question why they would bring him back only to trade him away. There are some other trade candidates on the roster tied to less exorbitant figures attached to their contracts. The team could save $1.3M by trading Sidney Jones (with $631,380 in dead cap). The figures would be the same if the front office decided to cut the young corner, without the added bonus of players or picks in return. His future with the Eagles seems to be nearing the end, but another team may be willing to take a chance on his first-round pedigree. The team could also save $626,802 by trading or cutting Matt Pryor (with $66,393 in dead cap). Pryor has a fantastic physical profile, but he hasn't done enough to challenge for a backup position. With Jordan Mailata progressing quickly and Andre Dillard being added to the mix, Pryor could be the odd man out. Alternatively, the Eagles could move Mailata, who would save the Birds slightly less and would cause a slightly smaller cap hit. Ultimately, Mailata has been the better prospect and is owed less money. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports