Eagles, Beau Allen reportedly in contract extension talks

The Philadelphia Eagles are in contract negotiations with Beau Allen, according to a report from Jeff McLane of the Inquirer. The 25-year-old defensive tackle is eligible for an extension this offseason for the first time in his career.

The Eagles’ commitment to Allen could be yet another sign the team doesn’t expect to retain Bennie Logan. Logan will be an unrestricted free agent when NFL free agency begins next week on Thursday, March 9 at 4:00 PM ET.

If money wasn’t a factor, keeping Logan around would be ideal. The former third round pick has been a pretty good starter for the Eagles. He’s one of the better run-stuffing defensive tackles in the league.

The problem is Logan might be too expensive for the Eagles to keep. While Over The Cap projects his annual value could be between $5 million and $6 million, some NFL people have speculated he could make “twice that.” The Eagles might not be so keen on spending even more money on the defensive line after handing big contract extensions to Fletcher Cox and Vinny Curry last year.

Allen might be more affordable than Logan, but it remains to be seen how he would hold up as a full-time starter. The 2014 seventh round pick has only made five starts in three seasons. He’s recorded 40 tackles and one sack in 48 games played. Allen might be better suited as a rotational backup.

If the Eagles don’t keep Logan, defensive tackle immediately becomes a major need for Philadelphia. Aside from Allen, 2016 undrafted free agent signings Destiny Vaeao and Aziz Shittu are the only two returning backup defensive tackles on the roster. Vaeao struggled as a rookie and Shittu spent the entire season on the practice squad.