The Eagles entered 2015 NFL free agency with a lot of money after they parted ways with veterans who were eating up large amounts of cap space. Philadelphia wasn't shy about spending a lot of that money last week. The team brought in several new players and they weren't cheap. Now that the bulk of their shopping is done (for now), it's time to revisit that cap room number.
According to OverTheCap.com, the Eagles currently have the sixth least cap room in the NFL with "only" about $7.5 million to spend. (The NFLPA indicates the Eagles have a little more at ~$8.2 million.) Teams with less money include the Detroit Lions, the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants, the New Orleans Saints, and the Kansas City Chiefs. All of those teams have big money allocated to a quarterback. And now after the Sam Bradford trade, so do the Eagles.
Bradford carries the biggest salary cap hit on the Eagles roster at nearly $13 million. Believe it or not he's actually on the final year of his rookie contract. Keep in mind Bradford's deal came before the revamped rookie wage scale in the new CBA. None of Bradford's salary is guaranteed, so the team could cut him to save all of that money. The Eagles won't be doing that since they gave up a second round pick for him. But perhaps the two sides could reach an agreement to alter the contract. ESPN's Andrew Brandt reported that the Eagles are trying to rework/extend his deal. If not, the Eagles are stuck with the big cap hit in 2015.
There are other opportunities for the Eagles to save cap space. The team is reportedly willing to trade Pro Bowl left guard Evan Mathis. If that's true, the team would save $4.5 million. Meanwhile, DeMeco Ryans is scheduled to make nearly $7 million but none of that figure is guaranteed. Chip Kelly says the Eagles plan on retaining Ryans but that's hardly an efficient use of resources.
The Eagles could really use some extra cap space. The team still has oster holes to address at wide receiver, safety, and offensive line. Young players from the 2012 NFL Draft class such as Fletcher Cox are also now eligible for contract extensions. There is more money to be spent.
How will the Eagles make it all work?