Eagles News: Derek Barnett deadline is approaching

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …

How early NFL signings may affect the Eagles’ Derek Barnett plans – NBCSP
Because if the [Okwara] reported salary figure is accurate, it could potentially raise Barnett’s value if he hits the open market. Before that deal, the general sense was that Barnett would get somewhere around $8 million per year either from the Eagles on a long-term deal that would spread out his cap hit and give the Eagles 2021 cap relief or on the open market if he got there. The Eagles have until 4 p.m. Wednesday — the start of the new league year — to either agree with Barnett on a long-term deal, pay him a $10 million tender that also counts $10 million against the cap for 2021 or release him. If the market for a player of that caliber has increased, Barnett’s camp could be more reluctant to agree to a long-term deal with the Eagles. That would force the Eagles to decide whether to cut ties with a player they drafted with the 14th pick in 2017 or keep the $10 million one-year deal.

Philadelphia Eagles: Free agency news, best options available, plans at safety – The Athletic
As for Barnett, the deadline is fast approaching and all four options — extension, cut, trade, keep on the fifth-year option — are still on the table. I still think the most likely outcome is an extension before Wednesday. His leverage is to be willing to play on the option, which is a high price tag from the Eagles’ vantage point. The Eagles have ways to get under the cap by Wednesday without changing Barnett’s cap hit, but that’s one of the easier paths. And as I’ve been saying all offseason, Barnett is one of the few good, young players the Eagles have. They need to be in the business of cultivating that.

State of the Eagles: 2021 Primer – BGN
To reiterate, 2016 has the benefit of hindsight, but those bullet points about 2016 were largely as true then as they are today. Perhaps I’m being overly pessimistic, but the Eagles’ current situation feels like it will be much more than a 3-year project… to win a Super Bowl, at least. I see a much slower-developing rebuild, akin to what the Bills have done in Buffalo. And they rode with Tyrod Taylor during McDermott’s first year as coach. Strategically, there seems to be more value in taking a premier non-quarterback talent at six and riding with Hurts (I finally mentioned him!). If he looks like the answer this year – great! You don’t need a quarterback. If he doesn’t, you’ll probably be in a great position to take one in 2022. But by that time you might have a young dynamic playmaker with one year of NFL experience to help the new guy along.

Mailbag: Eagles should have plenty of future competition for quarterbacks if they don’t draft one now – PhillyVoice
I think that a prime example of the scenario you lay out above is the Broncos. They went into 2020 with a second-year, second-round quarterback in Drew Lock, who showed something as a rookie in 2019. Lock and the Broncos proceeded to have a dreadful 2020 season, going 5-11 with a point differential of -123, which was fourth-worst in the NFL. Lock wasn’t even “OK,” and they’re picking ninth! If Denver doesn’t trade pretty far up, there’s a good chance that the top four guys will all be gone by the time they pick, and that’s in a loaded quarterback draft.

Brandon Graham extends contract, keeps leaders in locker room and stars on field – PE.com
We’re seeing the plan unfold, and as the Eagles prepare for the start of the NFL’s 2021 business year that begins on Wednesday at 4 PM, they are going to do so with a familiar framework in place. Yes, the Eagles are in a “transition” period with the roster, as Chairman & CEO Jeffrey Lurie said back in January. But it’s clear that the transition is going to include key veterans who are going to be part of the reboot. Defensive end Brandon Graham is the latest player to provide some positive news, as the Eagles announced on Monday evening that Graham signed a contract extension through the 2022 season, and the Pro Bowl pass rusher couldn’t be happier. “At the end of the day,” he said, “this is where I want to be. I love the energy and I know we’re going to get things done around here.”

2021 NFL free agency: Patriots sign wide receiver Nelson Agholor to two-year, $26 million contract – Pats Pulpit
The 27-year-old Agholor joined the Raiders last offseason after five so-and-so years with the Philadelphia Eagles. A viable deep threat capable of lining up both in the slot and on the outside — possibly filling the Z-receiver role in New England — the former first-round draft pick will add some much-needed big play ability to a Patriots wide receiver room that lacked just that the last two years.

2021 NFL free agency: Patriots sign defensive back Jalen Mills to four-year, $24 million contract – Pats Pulpit
Mills originally joined the NFL as a seventh-round draft pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016, and played 63 regular season games as well as four playoff contest for the organization over the next five years. While he started out as a cornerback, he moved into a more versatile role over the 2020 season: Mills saw most of his snaps as a box safety, while also seeing plenty of action back deep or at the outside and slot cornerback spots. Even though the Patriots already had one of the deepest defensive backfields in the NFL entering the offseason, Mills gives them another versatile player to bolster its overall depth.

Jacksonville Jaguars agree to terms with safety Rudy Ford, per report – Big Cat Country
The 26-year-old safety recorded 15 tackles, including one tackle for loss, in eight games (one start) for the Eagles in 2020. Prior to his time in Philadelphia, Ford was selected out of Auburn by the Arizona Cardinals in the sixth-round selection (No. 208 overall) in the 2017 NFL Draft. He spent two seasons in the desert with the Cardinals. According to Pro Football Reference, Ford has recorded 35 tackles and one tackle for loss in 41 career games, including two starts. He will provide competition at the safety positions and strengthen the special teams units in Jacksonville.

Report: Broncos sign cornerback Ronald Darby to a three-year deal worth $30M and has $19.5M fully guaranteed – Mile High Report
Darby is a 5-11, 193-pound cornerback who has played six seasons in the NFL. The 27-year old cornerback was drafted by the Buffalo Bills with their 50th overall selection in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He then played three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles before spending last season with the Washington Football Team. Last season for Football Team, he totaled 54 tackles, 0 interceptions, and had a tied for league-high 16 pass deflections as well. During his career, Darby has totaled 288 tackles, 8 interceptions, and 81 pass deflections. According to Pro Football Focus, Ronald Darby was given a 69.8 overall grade which was ranked as the 28th best cornerback in the NFL last season.

2021 NFL Free Agency: Houston Texans Sign Linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill – Battle Red Blog
Grugier-Hill spent his career with Philadelphia before moving to Miami. Last year in Miami he played 20% of the defensive snaps, and 52% of the special teams snaps. With linebackers Zach Cunningham and Christian Kirksey on the roster, the Texans need help at linebacker for coverage purposes. Gruiger-Hill provides this, along with special teams play too.

Washington signs Ryan Fitzpatrick to 1-year deal – Hogs Haven
Washington appears to have found it’s vet QB answer in former Dolphins’ QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. Initial reports were that Fitz was looking to retire, but Coach Ron must have been able to coax him to DC for one more, magical season.

Reports: Free agent Cam Erving to Panthers, Cowboys have interest in free safety Damontae Kazee – Blogging The Boys
Kazee spent four years in Atlanta when Quinn was the head coach. Safety is certainly a need for the Cowboys with Xavier Woods being a free agent. Kazee was a starter in Atlanta but tore his Achilles in early October of the 2020 season.

NFL free agency: Giants lose DT Dalvin Tomlinson to Minnesota Vikings – Big Blue View
Tomlinson started every game for New York since the Giants selected him in the second round of the 2017 draft. The 27-year-old delivered 3.5 sacks and 49 tackles in each of the past two seasons in East Rutherford. In 2020 he put up a career-high 10 QB hits and 8 tackles for loss. He also registered a career-high in snaps, playing 60 percent of the Giants defensive plays in 2020. However, Tomlinson appears to have become a salary cap casualty after the Giants placed the franchise tag on fellow defensive lineman Leonard Williams. The Giants, in an effort to create cap space, are working to sign Williams long-term and re-structure the contract of offensive tackle Nate Solder. Neither of those deals has yet come to fruition.

Report: Former Colts Safety, Free Agent Clayton Geathers Looking to Continue Playing Career – Stampede Blue
When fully healthy, the 28 year old safety was a locker room leader and effective, hard-hitting hybrid safety for the Colts defense. However, having suffered a season-ending neck injury during the 2016 season, he never looked quite fully recovered following surgery even seasons later. The veteran safety will look to latch on with an NFL team this offseason, but chances are, it won’t be with the Colts—as the defense needs a more rangy, coverage oriented safety (less in-the-box in playing style than Geathers) to pair with returning starters Khari Willis and Julian Blackmon going forward. [BLG Note: Could we see a reunion with Jonathan Gannon]

Report: Detroit Lions to release Chase Daniel, Danny Shelton – Pride Of Detroit
As expected, the Detroit Lions will be making more roster moves to clear out cap space before the start of the new league year. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, quarterback Chase Daniel and defensive tackle Danny Shelton are being released. Combined, the moves should clear out a total of $6.3 million in cap space for the 2021 season. The Lions were reportedly looking to trade Daniel last week, but apparently couldn’t find any suitors willing to take on his $4.3 million salary this year (and potentially $5 million salary in 2022). Daniel was signed to a three-year deal last season, but with the Lions going through a new rebuild—including a new starting quarterback—spending that much on a backup quarterback seemed excessive.

Report: Andy Dalton “could be” headed to the Bears – Windy City Gridiron
Earlier today on the NFL Network, Ian Rapoport reported that the Chicago Bears were one of a couple teams showing “significant” interest in free agent quarterback Andy Dalton, but he followed that up by saying the Bears are interested in every available quarterback, so I dismissed it as just the usual free agency rumor buzz. But just moments ago, the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs Tweeted that the “next QB domino to fall could be Andy Dalton, and one league source said he believes the Red Rifle could be headed to the Bears.” Biggs, who has covered the Bears for years, has been spot on with his reports of late, so if he’s putting this out there it’s a report I believe. Biggs also reported tonight that his sources tell him the Bears are still in on a possible Russell Wilson trade.

NFL Daily Kickoff, Tuesday- The Patriots go nuts in free agency + Bucs keep the band togethe‪r‬ – The SB Nation NFL Show
In today’s episode we recap a wild day of spending in the NFL’s “legal tampering” period. The Patriots made a bunch of moves, the Bucs are legit trying to bring everyone back, and the Chiefs pay a ton of cash to shore up their offensive line.

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