The 2026 league year is just mere days away from beginning, which should open the floodgates for the Philadelphia Eagles to start making some massive moves.
They have already missed out on some big names, but still have plenty of time to adjust and still put together the roster they want to make a Super Bowl run. There might be some internal moves they will have to consider, whether that is a trade or cutting players.
While star wide receiver A.J. Brown is at the center of all the trade talks this offseason, the Eagles have very few cut candidates who need to happen. There is one player who is as clear as day that needs to be released from the team.
Eagles need to release Michael Carter II when free agency starts
When the Eagles first traded for Michael Carter II from the Jets, it was a sign that general manager Howie Roseman publicly acknowledged that he messed up at CB2 with Adoree' Jackson and Kelee Ringo, but was confused by the move. It was good for depth purposes, but Carter was more of a slot corner, which Cooper DeJean held for the Eagles.
Carter ended up being a non-factor all season for the Eagles, playing just 20% of the defensive snaps and being reduced to a special teams player. He finished the year with just 10 tackles in eight games.
The only game where he really made an impact on defense was in the Eagles' Week 12 loss against the Dallas Cowboys, where DeJean was moved to the outside to replace an injured Jackson, and Carter was in the slot. DeJean ended up struggling on the outside, so Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio kept his All-Pro slot corner in the slot and Carter on the bench.
If the Eagles decided to move on from Carter, they would save $8.7 million by releasing them. That's a big deal for them when they can use that money to help re-sign edge rusher Jaelan Phillips or pick up another player in free agency.
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Philly does not need Carter on the roster and can easily just let him go, save the money, and move on with their lives. The idea of having Carter is nice, but he is never going to do much on the team with DeJaen in the slot, so that is as easy a cut candidate as it gets.