Like pedals falling from a rose, the Eagles’ NFC championship roster began to atrophy during the NFL’s legal manipulation period. As expected, the Eagles lost several key players who signed lucrative contracts with other teams.
As I write this, the Eagles saw defenseman Javon Hargrave, offensive tackle Andre Dillard, linebackers TJ Edwards and Kyzir White, and free safetyman Marcus Epps all head for greener pastures. Hargrave, Edwards and Epps were each starters in defense for the Eagles last season. Dillard was a backup, making nine starts in 43 games with the Eagles. White was a point starter on last year’s team.
The Eagles have also split up with running back Miles Sanders, who said goodbye to Philadelphia via social media on Tuesday. The Carolina Panthers, who recently earned the No. 1 pick overall in the April draft, plan to sign Sanders.
Hargrave agreed to a four-year, $84 million deal with the 49ers, who lost to the Eagles in last year’s NFC Championship game. Hargrave, a 2021 Pro Bowler, posted a career-high 11 sacks for the Eagles last season.
Edwards, who has been in defense for the Eagles for the past three seasons, agreed to a three-year, $19.25 million contract with the Chicago Bears with a $12 million guarantee. A tackling machine, Edwards had 159 stops for the Eagles last season after posting 130 tackles in 2021.
Epps, who grabbed more snaps than any other Eagles defensive end last season, reportedly agreed to a two-year, $12 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. In his third full season in Philadelphia, Epps set career highs with six passes and 94 tackles.
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Dillard has signed a three-year, $29 million deal with the Tennessee Titans. As the 22nd overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, Dillard gets a chance to apply for a starting job in Nashville.
White reportedly signs a two-year, $11 million deal with the Arizona Cardinals.
While those losses hurt, there was some positive news in the Eagles’ offseason. Jason Kelce, the future center of the team’s Hall of Fame, announced that he is returning for a 13th season. Long-time colleague Brandon Graham remains in town after signing a one-year, $6 million deal, and defenseman Fletcher Cox also returns on a one-year, $10 million contract. Starting cornerbacks James Bradberry and Darius Slay will be back along with backup running back Boston Scott.
Philadelphia caused a stir Tuesday when it reportedly hooked up with former Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny, who averaged 5.7 yards per carry during his time in Seattle.