The Philadelphia Eagles are trying to position themselves to defend their Super Bowl title next season, but it sounds like they may have to make some more tough decisions with the future in mind.
The Eagles made a somewhat surprising move on Tuesday when they traded veteran defensive back CJ Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans in exchange for little-known offensive lineman Kenyon Green and a pick swap. Gardner-Johnson had manageable salary cap charges of $4.9 million and $6 million over the next two seasons.
During an appearance on 97.5 The Fanatic on Wednesday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said Eagles fans should temper their expectations if they are anticipating the team making any big additions this offseason. The reporter believes Philadelphia is more likely to shed salary like they did with the Gardner-Johnson trade.
“I think they are more likely to shed more salary than acquire more salary,” Schefter said. “That’s how I feel right now. So, you’re asking if there’s a trick up their sleeve? No, again, I think they are more likely to shed – shed – more salaries, make more moves the other way, more outgoing than incoming, I think.”
The Eagles have also lost star defensive players Josh Sweat and Milton Williams in free agency. While they have salary cap space remaining, Zach Berman of The Athletic noted that Philly saved $8.5 million in real cash by trading Gardner-Johnson. The Eagles have utilized a strategy of spending more cash than other teams while spreading out salary cap hits, so they will likely continue to do that.
Jalen Carter will be eligible for a contract extension next offseason. The star defensive lineman could very well become the highest-paid defensive player in the league at that point. Those are the types of contracts the Eagles have to prepare for, which is why they have already made some difficult subtractions this offseason.
