Grading the Philadelphia Eagles' Free-Agency Moves so Far
With free agency winding down in the NFL, it’s time we go back and reassess what the Philadelphia Eagles have accomplished thus far this offseason.
It’s funny. We already attempted to grade the signings and trades in the moments that immediately followed the reports. However, looking back, some of those might have been too reactionary. We didn’t necessarily have all the details about a contract or simply didn’t have time to step back and process all of the information.
Some of the Eagles’ transactions seem better or worse than they did last week. With the benefit of hindsight, we’re going back and giving letter grades to the new additions, with the marks being based on both the quality of the player and the value in what was ultimately paid—either in a trade or new contract terms.
As always, only time will tell which moves will help the franchise and which were busts. For now, we can only project whether the Birds made the right decisions or not.
Sam Bradford
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It’s difficult for some people to wrap their minds around why Chip Kelly was so dead set on moving Nick Foles, but whatever the reasoning, the head coach wanted to go in a different direction under center. The only way to properly evaluate this trade is to first accept that Foles had no future in Philadelphia.
So besides Foles, let’s just look at what Sam Bradford cost the Eagles. They exchanged a fourth-round pick in 2015 for the St. Louis Rams’ fifth-round selection—no big deal. The Birds also packaged their second-rounder in 2016 in the deal; however, the Rams must send back either a third or fourth if certain playing conditions are not met, per Adam Schefter for ESPN.
That means if Bradford’s rickety knee—the victim of ACL tears in back-to-back years—doesn’t hold up, or if he is beaten out for the starting quarterback job by Mark Sanchez, the Eagles don’t actually lose any picks. They simply move down.
Meanwhile, if Bradford suddenly realizes the potential that propelled him to the first overall choice in 2010, a second-rounder might seem like a small price to pay for a franchise quarterback. Kelly’s offense has already worked wonders for guys like Foles and Sanchez, so there’s reason to believe Bradford will improve at least marginally, especially with far more talent surrounding him in Philadelphia than he ever had in St. Louis.
The only risk involved for the Eagles is if Bradford plays and doesn’t become the long-term answer, and the club would lose its second-round pick anyway. Foles could also go on to have a Hall of Fame career and win multiple Super Bowls for the Rams—godspeed with that supporting cast—but apparently that is one risk Kelly was more than willing to take.
Grade: B-
DeMarco Murray
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There is no extra credit for stealing a player from a division rival, at least not when said player is of questionable value to the Eagles’ roster. Yes, the Birds needed a running back to replace LeSean McCoy, and yes, DeMarco Murray is an excellent—arguably better—fit for Kelly’s offense.
However, was there any need to award a 27-year-old running back with durability issues a five-year, $40 million contract that includes $21 million guaranteed? In particular, one who is coming off a season in which he touched the ball nearly 500 times between the regular season and playoffs?
Sorry, but I can’t say I totally understand the Murray signing, especially when the Eagles already had Ryan Mathews in the building. Why not go with a less expensive combination of Mathews and Darren Sproles and then draft a young back who could pitch in and eventually take over?
To be fair, Murray is the NFL’s reigning rushing champion. He’s tough and explosive, a one-cut runner who will hit the hole—something the offense lacked in times with McCoy. However, 2014 was the first time Murray played 16 games in a season, and don’t think his 11 fumbles over the past three seasons went unnoticed, either.
If Murray doesn’t suffer sharp decline or injury coming off last season’s ridiculous workload, he’ll likely be a nice addition to Philadelphia’s backfield. However, for a team that is in the throes of a minor rebuilding project, this move seemed more like a luxury than a necessity.
Grade: C-
Byron Maxwell
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On one hand, the Eagles’ situation at cornerback was so desperate, they had little choice but to overpay Byron Maxwell. Philadelphia’s pass defense finished 32nd and 31st the past two years, and the only corner under contract beyond this season was 2014 fourth-round pick Jaylen Watkins.
None of which changes the fact the Birds overpaid Maxwell—and vastly, we might add. Six years, $63 million with $25.5 million guaranteed is a lot for a cornerback with 17 career starts in the NFL, whose opponents’ passer rating ranked 25th out of 73 corners in ’14, according to Pro Football Focus, as part of a historically great Seattle Seahawks defense no less.
Maxwell is being paid like a shutdown cornerback, something he has not proved to be yet in his four-year career.
The good news is the Eagles structured the contract in such a way that they can get out from under it in as little as two seasons with minimal dead money against the salary cap. That means if Maxwell doesn’t live up the hype he received in free agency, it shouldn’t crush Philly for years down the road.
With that in mind, even though Maxwell may not have been worthy of the huge contract he received, it’s all about the details. The Eagles picked up a cornerback—filling a major need right off the bat—who fits their system and has big-game experience coming from Seattle. It’s a quality signing, just not necessarily a great one.
Grade: B
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Kiko Alonso
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One of Philadelphia’s best moves of free agency also happened to be one of its most controversial. People were shocked when the news came down the Eagles had traded LeSean McCoy—the all-time leading rusher in franchise history and only one season removed from a rushing title—for 24-year-old linebacker Kiko Alonso, who's coming off a torn ACL that erased his 2014 campaign.
The move is actually quite brilliant. McCoy turns 27 this year, an age at which decline often is not very far away for NFL running backs. By dealing him now, the Eagles ensured they could get something of value in return for a top player while he was still in his prime, if not at the peak of his game.
As for Alonso, he fills a huge impending need in the middle of Philly’s defense. Interior linebacker DeMeco Ryans (31) is entering the final year of his contract, is coming off his second Achilles injury and was not necessarily a perfect fit in a 3-4 defense to begin with. Theoretically, Alonso is Ryans’ replacement for the next decade, give or take.
Obviously, there is some concern over the injury that cost Alonso an entire season, but his rookie year of 2013 was just too promising to overlook. The Oregon product racked up 159 tackles, 2.0 sacks, four pass breakups, four interceptions and a forced fumble in his first season in the league, a line that would have been impressive for a 10-year veteran.
Seeing as the Birds were able to fill the hole in the backfield from McCoy’s departure with relative ease, it’s impossible not to look at this as a huge win for the Eagles. Sure, they lost a fan favorite in the trade, but the potential value in return was simply too good to pass up.
Grade: A
Ryan Mathews
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When news of Murray’s impending deal with Philly came down, it seemed unlikely Ryan Mathews would also sign with the Eagles, even though he was already at the team’s facility. Sure enough, both backs wound up with contracts.
As we already addressed, there is some question as to whether that was really necessary. However, looking at just Mathews’ deal, it seems like a good one for the Eagles.
The former first-round pick is a bit undervalued, likely due to his inability to stay healthy. Durability issues have prevented Mathews from starting 16 games in all but one of his five NFL seasons.
Still, despite injuries causing him to miss time almost every year, Mathews has posted respectable numbers over his career with the San Diego Chargers. He’s eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing twice in a season, even getting voted to the Pro Bowl in 2011. Mathews has averaged 4.4 yards per carry as a pro while accumulating over 5,000 total yards from scrimmage.
Mathews will be 28 and has had problems with fumbles over the years. Then again, he came to Philadelphia for a relatively cheap price, so it’s easier to overlook some of the flaws. Honestly, Mathews would have be an acceptable short-term solution as McCoy’s replacement. As a second-string back, he’s an outstanding addition.
Grade: B+
Walter Thurmond III
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At first, the assumption was the Walter Thurmond signing was a low-risk, high-reward addition for Philadelphia, and it still is in the sense that it’s a one-year deal. Not a lot can go wrong when said player’s salary is off the books next season.
That being said, it’s somewhat baffling the Eagles had to pay Thurmond $3.25 million for that one year. This is a cornerback who has managed to play more than six games just twice in five NFL seasons. This is a soon-to-be 28-year-old corner who suited up for just 22 of the last 64 possible regular-season games, including just two for the New York Giants in 2014.
Even if he manages to stay healthy, Thurmond is primarily a slot corner, where Brandon Boykin lines up and plays well, we might add. Neither player is a proven option as a No. 2 corner, which by all appearances, remains a hole in Philly’s defense.
If Thurmond plays and plays well—especially if he somehow does help fill that void across the field from Maxwell—nobody will remember or care about his salary. However, seeing as Philadelphia is currently only $3 million under the salary cap for 2015, this signing seems to raise more questions than it answers.
Grade: D
All salary-cap and player-contract details courtesy Spotrac.
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