5 worst Philadelphia Eagles contracts from 2010-2019
What constitutes a bad Philadelphia Eagles deal? It’s quite simple actually.
Quantifying a “bad” free agent signing means more than determining how well someone played while donning the midnight green. In crafting this list, the following was considered:
- Length of the contract
- Cost
- On-field impact
- Logic behind acquisition
Through the previous decade, a handful of players may have qualified for one or two of these marks, but to truly be considered a top-five mistake, all considerations must be taken.
Because of this, players like Vince Young (one year, $4 million) and Steve Smith (one year, $2.2 million) don’t crack the list. While both could be considered definite on-field disappointments, the contract cost and length were minimal.
Similarly, Leodis McKelvin’s arrival in Philadelphia in 2016 (two years, $6 million) was a forgettable attempt to help the Eagles’ secondary, but, like Young and Smith, the cost was minimal and the stay only lasted one season.
It’s also hard not to include Cary Williams. “Ol’ Sconce” joined the team as one of the first free agents in the early stages of the Chip Kelly era but was released before the final year of his contract.
Williams was a surprise starter with the eventual Superbowl XLVII champions, the Baltimore Ravens, turning his strong playoff performance into a three-year, $17 million contract with Philadelphia. Before his arrival, Williams was a relatively unheralded player, and his play with Baltimore didn’t effectively carry over to his Philadelphia tenure.
After two seasons, the Eagles released Williams, who was largely blamed for the Eagles’ pass defense giving up the most passing yards in the NFL in 2013, and the second-most passing yards in 2014. He barely misses making this list’s top five.