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Last week, it was reported that impending free agent Trey Burton turned down a contract offer from the Philadelphia Eagles. Burton responded on Twitter by saying he “[hadn’t] spoken to anyone about anything.”
This week, a report from a national NFL insider indicates Burton will indeed not be back with Philly next season.
With the #Eagles stocked at TE and dealing with cap considerations, free agent Trey Burton is expected to leave Philly. He had 16 teams check in on his status this week, and he’ll have a strong market.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 3, 2018
Once again, this news doesn’t come as a surprise. The common thought all along has been that Burton is likely going to move on this offseason. The cap-strapped Eagles just don’t have the ample funds to keep him around.
Losing Burton is a bummer for the Eagles since he was a great backup to Zach Ertz to have around. He’s also been a key special teams contributor for the Birds. Also he threw a touchdown pass to Nick Foles in the Super Bowl, which is a game that the Eagles won.
The good news here is that it looks like Burton could get a lucrative deal in free agency if so many teams are genuinely competing for his services. The bigger contract he gets, the better chances the Eagles have at landing a better compensatory pick for him in the 2019 NFL Draft.
So, knowing that the Eagles aren’t going to bring him back, fans should be rooting for Burton to get as much money as he can on the open market. Go out there and get paid, Touchdown Trey.
Of course, Eagles fans should also be rooting for Howie Roseman to figure out how to build depth at tight end behind Ertz.