Is Fletcher Cox A Priority For The Philadelphia Eagles?
By Matt Giraldi
The word priority has accompanied conversation about Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Fletcher Cox this offseason. In a society where news and information is instantaneously available, patience is no longer a virtue, but instead it’s a hindrance to our very way of life. With free agency three days away, the status quo for contracts is about to change in a large way.
Of the defensive linemen that will be free agents, four of them had a higher cap hit in 2015 than Fletcher Cox will have in the 2016 season. While the cap hit is not indicative of the true nature of a player’s contract, it helps paint the picture in a dog-eat-dog world of which player has the more impressive, and higher, numbers on their checks. Rest assured that on Wednesday at 4:00 pm EST, Cox will be paying attention to what players like Nick Fairley, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Charles Johnson command on the open market.
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Do I expect Fletcher Cox to hit the free agent market in 2017? Absolutely not. The franchise tag will certainly be the last-ditch effort to retain his services in Philadelphia. However, piggybacking off this year’s free agency is the fact that the franchise tag amount for a defensive end for the 2016 season would be approximately $15.7 million. That would more than double Cox’s current 2016 salary. After the aforementioned players have a deal in place this year, expect that number to increase for the 2017 league year.
The biggest question that most are left with is: Why are the Eagles taking so long to extend their best defensive player? Surely they have an interest in keeping Cox in Philadelphia for a long period of time. As Reuben Frank referenced however, the amount of money that is available for next season is drying up faster than a reservoir in Northern California. In the event that Cox were to have a significant pay raise as Frank suggested, that would leave the Eagles relatively short-handed in free agency.
There is one additional reason for wanting Fletcher Cox to get a deal done as soon as possible: Injury. Not necessarily the fear of Cox getting hurt, but the fear that a dynamic young talent on the verge of hitting the free agent market might not give it his all. Is there any proof whatsoever that Cox is that type of player? Absolutely not. Having said that, a seven year contract approaching $100 million surely has the ability to change a person’s demeanor in life. For a franchise that has a 31-33 record with Cox on the roster, the last thing the Eagles need is a “for who, for what” situation to emerge.
The proverbial point of no return is rapidly nearing. After the market has been set in the beginning days of free agency, yesterday’s contracts begin looking smaller and smaller. Since 2016 is the final year in a four-year period of the NFL’s requirement for teams to spend 89 percent of the salary cap, expect free agency to potentially feature ridiculous contracts for mid-tier talent. As for players of Fletcher Cox’s ability, they should be commanding great player money. More importantly, they should take precedence over other negotiations. That includes Sam Bradford, and extends all the way down to deals for Zach Ertz and Brent Celek. Rhetoric only gets a team so far. It’s time for talking points to cease, and a deal to get done if this truly is a priority. Time is money Mr. Roseman.