With NFL free agency being in full swing, the Philadelphia Eagles make strategic moves picking up big name players like running back Saquon Barkley, cornerback CJ Gardner-Johnson and linebackers Bryce Huff and Devin White.
The free agency signing period opened up at 4:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 13 with a salary cap of $255,400,000 per club. Teams had to be in compliance with the salary cap teams by the start of the 2024 league year, although “carry over” the previous season could be admitted.
The most notable player to sign on was the former New York Giants player, Barkley, who agreed to a three-year contract with the Eagles. The three-year deal is a $37.75 million contract with $26 million in guaranteed money.
Fans are hopeful that Barkley will be a positive addition to the team especially after running back D’Andre Swift, who had his most successful season with the Eagles last year, signed on for a three-year contract with the Chicago Bears.
The previous Detroit Lions player, Gardner-Johnson, and Jets player, Huff, have both agreed to three-year contracts with the Eagles, with Gardner-Johnson’s contract to be worth up to $33 million and Huff’s reported to be $51.1 million.
Former Tampa Buccaneers player White has only agreed to a one-year contract with the Eagles for a reported $7.5 million.
With the new additions, the Eagles have also had some player departures. Along with Swift leaving, linebacker Haason Reddick, wide receiver Quez Watkins and wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus are just a few names to be joining other teams next season.
Currently, Reddick has agreed to trade terms with the New York Jets while both Watkins and Zaccheaus have agreed to one-year contracts: Watkins with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Zaccheaus with the Washington Commanders.
With 20 Eagles players being set to hit the market as unrestricted free agents, the resigning of many of these players was vital to keep the team cohesive for the upcoming season.
According to the Eagles official site, unrestricted free agents are defined as, “a player with four or more accrued seasons whose contract has expired.”
In accordance with NFL ruling, “He is free to sign with any club, with no draft-choice compensation owed to his old club, through July 22 (or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later),” the official Eagles site said.
Some highly-anticipated resignings included safety Reed Blankenship, offensive linemen Landon Dickerson, defensive end Brandon Graham, kicker Jake Elliott and tackle Jordan Mailata.
Blankenship and Graham agreed to only one-year contract extensions while Mailata agreed to a three-year contract extension and Dickerson and Elliott agreed to four-year contract extensions.
Between the returning and new players joining the Eagles, fans are looking forward to what we believe will be a successful upcoming season.
