Should the Philadelphia Eagles commit to Jason Kelce?
Jason Kelce has been a starter since he entered the NFL in 2011. However, his declining play and high salary makes fans wonder how much longer he has in a Philadelphia Eagles uniform.
Since being selected in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft, Jason Kelce has been a stalwart along the offensive line for the Philadelphia Eagles. His Pro Bowl caliber play earned him a contract extension, but things have gone downhill since then. Few would argue that he has played up to the contract that he received. His high cost and underwhelming performance makes fans wonder how much longer he has in the midnight green.
The Eagles, it would seem, have been preparing for Kelce’s departure since last year. They drafted Isaac Seumalo in the third round in 2016 and have had him work at both center and guard. Stefen Wisniewski was re-signed as a versatile offensive lineman that started the majority of his NFL games at center. The signing of UDFA center Tyler Orlosky (who many had pegged as an early day three pick) suddenly creates a log jam.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are very high on Seumalo, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see an increased role for him this year. If the Eagles decided to move on from Kelce, Seumalo and Wisniewski could each end up starting at guard and center. Both have experience at the each position. This allows the Eagles to insert each one at the position that plays to their strengths. Orlosky could then serve as the primary center backup since Chance Warmack and Dallas Thomas would be the backups at guard. The Eagles would still have significant depth along the interior and would hopefully net a draft pick in a trade.
The Eagles’ salary cap situation has already been well documented throughout this offseason. It would seem that the only way they get rid of Kelce is trading him during camp/in season as opposed to an outright release. With that being said, let’s take a look at the 2018 season. According to Spotrac, Kelce carries a $7.2 million cap hit in 2018. The Eagles could save $6 million of that if they release him. If the Eagles did release Kelce, one of the three players listed above could be inserted at his position. Seumalo, Wisniewski and Orlosky would all be under control for at least another two years and carry a significantly lower cap hit. The additional money would allow the Eagles to lock in a player such as Alshon Jeffery to a long-term deal.
Jason Kelce has been a very solid player since being drafted by the Eagles. However, he is not being paid just to be solid. He is being paid like a top 10 player at his position. Unless his play significantly improves in 2017, Kelce could find himself in a new uniform come 2018.