5 Cuts That Could Create Cap Space for the Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles have plenty of space under the salary cap entering the 2015 offseason, which is a good thing, because they need it. Between taking care of their own and filling needs through free agency, the Birds have a lot of work to do before they reach the draft.
As well off as they are already, the Eagles can easily clear more space should they desire. There are plenty of veterans on the roster due to make way more money than warranted, any of whom could be cut in the blink of an eye for big savings—savings that could be applied to younger, cheaper replacements or needs elsewhere.
Of course, it’s not always as simple as taking a high-priced or ineffective player and cutting him. Some roster spots are protected by the amount of dead money a release would create against the cap. For others, there may not be a clear-cut replacement available.
That being said, there are at least five players the Eagles could consider cutting Wednesday, Feb. 4, who would not only save the organization a chunk of cash, but theoretically, they are not pivotal to the club’s success in 2015. We investigate who those might be and why they could be considered expendable.
Trent Cole
1 of 5
Trent Cole is an all-time great Eagle. With 85.5 sacks, he’s second all-time in franchise history behind only Reggie White. And unless he’s willing to take a significant pay cut, 2014 was Cole’s last season with the organization.
But Cole has just 17.5 sacks over the past three seasons. He’ll be 33 this season, and his cap hit is set to balloon to $11.625 million—nearly doubling last year's. That’s simply too much money for an aging pass-rusher.
The Eagles can save over $8.4 million against the cap with Cole’s release.
On the plus side, Cole has expressed a desire to stay, which means he may be willing to renegotiate his contract. The two-time Pro Bowler is probably only a situational player at this point in his career and should be compensated as such, but as the saying goes, you can never have too many pass-rushers.
Plus, Brandon Graham—Cole’s potential replacement at outside linebacker—is headed for free agency, while 2014 first-round pick Marcus Smith couldn’t get on the field as a rookie.
Even if Cole restructures, though, the Eagles should be looking to keep at him at a figure that allows them to save somewhere around that $8 million. He’s still a very useful player, even after 10 NFL seasons, but that kind of cash could go a long way toward luring a prime free agent this offseason—a player who could be with Philadelphia for the long haul.
Cary Williams
2 of 5
While Bradley Fletcher devolved into main scapegoat for Philly’s porous secondary this past season, Cary Williams isn’t much better. And with a cap hit of a little over $8.1 million in 2015, the final year of his contract—almost $7 million of which could be saved with his release—it might be difficult to fathom why the Eagles couldn’t find a cheaper replacement.
Then again, Williams may not be a shutdown cornerback by any means, but he’s not terrible like Fletcher, either. Not only that, but if the Eagles cut Williams and allow Fletcher to depart via free agency, the front office will be tasked not just with finding one new cornerback, but two, for the second time in three offseasons no less.
Still, if the Birds find themselves lifting up couch cushions for spare change, a case can easily be made for expelling Williams. You mean to tell me another league-average cornerback couldn’t be found for roughly half the cost?
Maybe, maybe not. There is absolutely some risk involved in cutting Williams this offseason. However, if money is the primary concern, it’s an easy decision. Williams isn’t worth the over $8 million he’s due. It’s only a matter of whether the team feels it can do better for less.
DeMeco Ryans
3 of 5
On one hand, the Eagles don’t have an obvious replacement for DeMeco Ryans. On the other hand, Ryans will be 31, coming off his second Achilles injury, has one year remaining on his contract and is a questionable fit as an every-down linebacker in a 3-4 defense to boot.
Feels like I’ve typed that second sentence a lot over the past month already. But when a player is set to earn $6.9 million, those all seem like very reasonable observations.
Obviously, if Ryans were healthy, the preference would be he reprise his role in the middle of Philadelphia’s defense. Head coach Chip Kelly said as much himself during his end-of-season press conference.
Yet, there has to be at least some question as to whether Ryans will be ready in time for training camp, let alone at any point in the regular season. Achilles injuries are one of the longest, most difficult recoveries there are as far as typical injuries are concerned, and considering the two-time pro Bowler’s advanced age and the fact this was his second, there’s reason to doubt Ryans will be effective.
The Eagles are fortunate in that they can monitor Ryans’ progress and make that decision at a later date. There are no roster bonuses or other guarantees, so all $6.9 million can be recouped as long as he’s cut prior to the start of the regular season. Where he’s at in his rehabilitation a few months down the road may very well dictate the outcome here.
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James Casey
4 of 5
This one is pretty much a no-brainer. Despite not getting the role he thought he signed up for when he joined the Eagles in 2013, James Casey has said and done all the right things. He’s been the situational blocking tight end the club asked for. He’s contributed on special teams.
Those qualities aside, $4 million is an awful lot pay for a No. 3 tight end and special teamer. No doubt, the Eagles would’ve dumped him last year already were it not for the dead money in the cap.
This time, the team can dump Casey and save every dime.
When Casey was signed, Philadelphia had not yet drafted Zach Ertz. With Brent Celek still playing at a high level, and undrafted free agent Trey Burton having a solid rookie season on special teams and looking to grow into an offensive role, Casey is more expendable than ever.
Unless he’s willing to renegotiate—and honestly, why would he?—2014 was almost certainly Casey’s last season in midnight green.
LeSean McCoy
5 of 5
Should any running back earn nearly $12 million for a season in this day and age? That is the question the Eagles may ultimately have to answer with LeSean McCoy.
That’s what the All-Pro back is due in 2015, the peak of a five-year contract. The numbers actually dip to a far more reasonable $8.8 million and $7.8 million, respectively, in the final two seasons, so if the team can just bite the bullet for one year, there’s no reason to cut the franchise’s all-time leading rusher, is there?
McCoy took a lot of the blame for Philadelphia’s struggles in the ground attack in ’14, yet despite rampant injuries across the offensive line, he managed to earn his third invitation to the Pro Bowl. McCoy only turns 27 this year and had just five seasons as a feature back under his belt, so there should be good years ahead.
Still, $11.95 million is a lot for any player, let alone a ball-carrier. The Eagles could save $7 million with McCoy’s release—and running backs are the most replaceable position.
McCoy did not sound open to taking less money, either, per CSNPhilly.com. Then again, restructuring doesn’t automatically mean less money. It could mean pushing some of that gaudy cap figure into future years.
This writer is not advising the Eagles release McCoy. Actually, quite the opposite. I think he’s still the offense’s best weapon when the offensive line is healthy and clicking, and while the 2015 cap hit is a tad alarming, something could probably be done to alleviate that.
Then again, running back is easily the most replaceable position in football, and if the front office felt it really needed the money, this is yet another area where it can be found. It's not high on my list, but if you’re gonna break the piggy bank, you might as well smash it to pieces with a hammer.
All contract details via Spotrac.
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