Breaking Down Philadelphia Eagles' Best, Worst Contracts
Every NFL organization has to deal with the balancing act of orchestrating team-friendly contracts to make up for the overpriced deals they're stuck with, and the Philadelphia Eagles are no exception.
In recent years, the Eagles have doled out serious cash to some of their centerpieces on both the offensive line and defensive line. Most of them made sense at the time, but it's never a guarantee that a player will continue his elite level of play after getting his big pay day.
Philadelphia has done a nice job this offseason of shedding some of those contracts that no longer made sense for the team, but there are still a handful of bad deals on the books. It's just as well the Eagles did some fantastic work carving out some value contracts to offset them.
Let's take a closer look at four of the best and four of the worst contracts the Eagles have on the books at this point in the offseason.
Best: TE Zach Ertz
1 of 8
When a team is in a horrendous cap situation and needing improvements, it's important for some team-first players to come through and restructure their deals to help the cause. You usually don't expect that from one of your youngest and most promising offensive stars.
But Zach Ertz did just that on the cusp of the free-agency window. According to Over The Cap, Ertz's restructured deal converted over $3 million of his salary into a bonus and opened up nearly as much cap room, which was desperately needed.
The 26-year-old had no individual reason to do that, emerging from his initial extension last offseason to post 76 catches for 816 yards and four touchdowns. But he looked around him and saw the need for help on the perimeter, then did the Eagles a huge favor by opening up some of his own salary to benefit the team.
Ertz's cap hit picks back up near the $10 million range in 2018, but he gave the Eagles a ton of room to work with this offseason, and he should be lauded for that.
Worst: DE Vinny Curry
2 of 8
There's not much doubt entering the 2017 season about the player who holds the honor of having the worst contract for the Eagles.
Defensive end Vinny Curry proved throughout his first four seasons in the league that he was deserving of an extension, but not one that makes him one of the highest-paid ends in the league. Curry made just $3 million in 2016, but that number ups to $9 million in 2017 before reaching the $11 million-12 million threshold by 2020, per Over The Cap.
That type of figure indicates Curry is bringing in double-digit sacks every season, but he only got 2.5 sacks last year with 26 tackles and proved he's not even an option for a starting spot. When the Eagles drafted Derek Barnett with the No. 14 overall pick in this year's draft, it gave every indication Philly isn't counting on Curry to play at a level worthy of his price tag.
It's probably too early to give up on Curry and shed his contract after just one bad season, but he's definitely been put on notice.
Best: DT Timmy Jernigan
3 of 8
Next offseason, the time will come for the Eagles to pay Timmy Jernigan, their newly acquired defensive tackle from the Baltimore Ravens, if he proves to be worth it. But he's unquestionably one of the biggest steals capwise on the Eagles' roster.
Jernigan is playing out the remainder of his rookie contract, which assumes a measly $1 million cap hit, per Over The Cap. Compare that to the near $8 million that the Kansas City Chiefs paid departed tackle Bennie Logan, and the Eagles saved $7 million on the swap without sacrificing much of anything in terms of skill and production at the position.
The 24-year-old has done nothing but prove his worth throughout his three-year career and should expect to receive a sizable deal next offseason if he continues his ascension. At that point, the Eagles can decide whether they can pay the man.
For now, he's one of the best bargains on the roster.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Worst: C Jason Kelce
4 of 8
It's unclear exactly how much longer the contract of center Jason Kelce will be the Eagles' responsibility, but what's clear is Philly may be expecting to shed that $6.2 million cap hit sooner rather than later.
That became apparent early in free agency, when the Eagles signed reserve interior lineman Stefen Wisniewski to a three-year contract. That came on the heels of some criticism from Wisniewski about his role and how he wants to be a starter in 2017, per Andrew Kulp of CSN Philly.
One would imagine Wisniewski got some level of assurance that he'll have a better shot at starting in 2017, and they're paying him accordingly. While he can play guard, Wisniewski's natural position is center, and the Eagles would save themselves some much-needed cap room by getting rid of Kelce and inserting Wisniewski in his place.
Best: WR Alshon Jeffery
5 of 8
New Eagles receiver Alshon Jeffery's cap hit for the 2017 season comes in at $9.5 million, per Over The Cap. That's not what makes his contract good. Rather, it is the length of the deal the Eagles managed to work out with the league's most prominent free-agent wideout.
Jeffery surely could have landed a multiyear deal elsewhere but felt there was something to prove for both him and the Philly offense in 2017. The allure of quarterback Carson Wentz likely helped Jeffery to decide Philadelphia is where he wants to prove he's worthy of a big-money, long-term deal.
If the former Chicago Bears star can take the next step and assert himself as one of the league's premier receivers, you can bet the Eagles will be ready to make him that. If not, taking a one-year flier on such a talented player at a seismic position of need can't be criticized.
Worst: LB Mychal Kendricks
6 of 8
Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks' contract, which assumes cap hits increasing from $6.6 million to $8.6 million through 2019, per Over The Cap, wouldn't be so bad if he played meaningful snaps and had a guaranteed role on the defense.
Instead, Kendricks was the odd man out in the Philadelphia front seven under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz in 2016, playing under 30 percent of the defense's snaps, per Pro Football Reference. Meanwhile, his salary continues to inflate like he's a perennial impact player on the defense.
Kendricks isn't a bad player but simply a bad fit in the Eagles' 4-3 scheme. He's a natural 3-4 pass-rusher who isn't capable of handling the extensive responsibilities from linebackers in Schwartz's system.
It's already head-scratching that the Eagles haven't found Kendricks a new home, and it will continue to become more confusing as time carries on.
Best: QB Carson Wentz
7 of 8
Not many quarterbacks can prove in their rookie season that they're worthy of a top-10 contract at the position, but Wentz effectively did that with his scintillating debut campaign.
The No. 2 overall pick in 2016 takes up a $6 million cap hit in 2017, per Over The Cap, which ranks 11th on the team despite the fact he's the most valuable player on the roster. He'll be paid less in 2017 than four of his five starting lineman as things stand.
It gets even more amazing when Wentz's salary is compared to those of other NFL quarterbacks. Among QBs, Wentz ranks 27th with his 2017 cap hit, behind the likes of Brock Osweiler, Mike Glennon, Josh McCown and, wait for it, Sam Bradford.
The time will come when the Eagles make Wentz one of the league's highest-paid quarterbacks, which is what he deserves. For now, they can benefit from having the best-value signal-caller in the NFL on their books.
Worst: OT Jason Peters
8 of 8
It may be unfair to label Jason Peters' contract as bad. The longtime bookend left tackle has been one of the most important players on the team for years, but he's 35 and sure to decline over the coming seasons.
With that said, Peters' cap hit comes in at a ghastly $11.7 million for the 2017 season, making him the team's highest-paid player by nearly $2 million, per Over The Cap. With that type of number, Peters should be expected to give up little to no pressure on Wentz's blind side.
He has done a masterful job of keeping Philly quarterbacks upright throughout his Eagles tenure and could well keep that up in 2017 as Father Time tries to diminish his abilities on the field. But that doesn't change the fact he's one of the league's oldest lineman and being paid like one of the best.
If Peters declines in 2017, the cap-strained Eagles will face some tough decisions on whether they can see out his contract, which expires at the end of 2018.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
