Ranking the Eagles six most applaudable examples of salary cap ingenuity
Quez Watkins, wide receiver. 6. player. 54. . .
Two young stars in the making should contribute much to the Eagles’ cause in 2022 (and do so inexpensively).
If nothing else changed between now and Week 1’s game versus the Detroit Lions, the Eagles figure to field an offensive attack that places A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith on the outside at wide receiver while Quez Watkins makes his living in the slot.
At this point of his career, it’s hard to quantify Quez’s talent by looking at what he’s done statistically. He’s hauled in 50 receptions on 75 targets. That’s resulted in 753 yards in 23 career games with 12 starts and two touchdowns.
Those aren’t bad numbers. One has to remember that he hasn’t been the first option in Philly’s passing attack, but we can say this. He’s most certainly worth more than the $937,416 price tag he’ll carry in 2022 thanks to being a former sixth-round draft choice.
. . Nakobe Dean, linebacker. 5. player. 54.
A considerable amount of the buzz surrounding rookie linebacker Nakobe Dean comes from what we witnessed during the most recent NFL Draft. Much of the Eagles’ fan base and many members of the Philly media would have been ecstatic had the Birds taken him with a first-round draft choice.
When he was still available in Round 2, his selection would have felt like a steal then, but knowing that the Birds were able to wait until Round 3 and get him anyway makes his addition feel like one of the best of the past five seasons.
Thanks to being a third-rounder, he’ll earn $946,298 in year one. 36 other NFL linebackers will earn higher wages.