Philadelphia Eagles could realistically acquire Alshon Jeffery
By Ryan Quigley
Acquiring Alshon Jeffery is more than plausible for the Philadelphia Eagles.
The NFL’s free agency period begins at 4 p.m. on March 9 and Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery will be one of the more popular players to hit the open market. The Philadelphia Eagles may not have a ton of money to throw around this offseason, but that still won’t keep them from being a possible suitor for the soon-to-be 27-year-old wideout.
On the contrary, Philadelphia could be towards the top of Jeffery’s list of possible landing spots.
The obvious reason Jeffery may choose the Eagles over other suitors is the hiring of Mike Groh, the team’s new wide receivers coach. Groh coached the Bears’ wide receivers for three years prior to joining the Los Angeles Rams in 2016. In his first season with the Bears, the team ranked fifth in passing offense and Jeffery had a Pro Bowl year. That season, Jeffery caught 89 balls for 1,421 yards and seven touchdowns.
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Groh and Jeffery have worked well with one another in the past and that could happen again in 2017 if the Eagles clear enough cap space to take in the massive contract Jeffery will likely be asking for.
And that’s the tricky part.
The Eagles are currently in a bit of a financial stranglehold. However, a source with knowledge on the Eagles’ financial situation says the team is prepared to clear a significant amount of cap space during the offseason. If that is the case, players such as Connor Barwin, Ryan Mathews and Jason Kelce could be among the many cap casualties. By cutting (or trading) those three players alone, the Eagles would clear roughly $17,150,000—more than enough cap space to pay Jeffery big time money.
In the scenario of the Eagles still being unable to meet Jeffery’s asking price, a solid alternative would be to reunite with DeSean Jackson. It has already been rumored that Jackson may be looking to make his return to Philadelphia this offseason and would likely be cheaper than Jeffery due to his age and polarizing persona.