Eagles news: 4 upcoming dates that affect salary cap, free agency, draft

Depending on where you are in the country, you might be seeing a shift. Those winter coats are being thrown on less often, and you may even be waking up to warmer mornings. As far as football goes, that means it’s time to start talking about the 2022 Philadelphia Eagles (as we’re sure you’ll be doing all spring and summer).

It’s time to start talking about draft prospects, the next wave of free agency, and the NFL Draft that closes the month of April, and while you’re, no doubt, adding those events to your calendars, here are four more that are worth jotting down.

Here’s a quick mention of four huge dates coming up in the Eagles offseason.

Part of what makes the NFL so entertaining is the fact that everything feels like an event, and it is, except for the Pro Bowl of course. That has to go away.

The offseason will allow every NFL franchise to get better, and it all starts in March.

The 2022 NFL Scouting Combine

The next crop of NFL stars head to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for the next NFL Scouting Combine. Tight ends, quarterbacks, and wideouts arrive on Monday, February 28th for registration, pre-exam, orientation, and interviews. On-field workouts begin on Thursday, March 3rd, and conclude on Sunday, March 6th.

March 7th: Derek Barnett becomes a free agent (hopefully)

Once we reach March 7th, we’re ten days out from the start of 2022 League Year. We can wipe out the final three years on Derek Barnett’s restructured deal (2022-2025 contract years) as they’ll become void. He’ll officially be a free agent, and just like that, every member of the Eagles’ 2017 draft class will be gone.

Philadelphia will have to take on $7.2 million in dead cap money from the bonus proration he should have earned between 2022 and 2025 however.

March 16: The 2022 League Year begins

Jason Kelce gets a fully-guaranteed $1.5 million roster bonus, and the Birds have to think about working out a new deal if he returns. As far as everyone else goes, here’s the skinny.

Philadelphia has the option of exercising options on several of their young stars who have recently been extended, including Dallas Goedert and Jordan Mailata.

March 18: Darius Slay Day aka the third day of the 2022 League Year

$2 million of Darius ‘Big Play’ Slay’s $6 million 2022 base salary becomes fully guaranteed. The 2023 base salaries of three of Philly’s young stars are also guaranteed: Dallas Goedert ($14 million), Jordan Mailata ($14.5 million), and Josh Sweat ($9 million).

You also want to make note of the fact that $1.55 million of Avonte Maddox’s 2023 $6.35 million base salary will be fully guaranteed, and $2.25 million of Jake Elliott’s 2022 base salary is also guaranteed.

All of this helps determine what the Eagles’ spending range will be in free agency and how they’ll be able to negotiate deals for the players they’ll want to keep from their roster. Stay tuned. Things are getting interesting.