The Philadelphia Eagles not only need to find an offensive coordinator that is going to give this offense a bit more bute than Kevin Patullo, but they also need to find a way to continue keeping pace with the rest of the contenders in the NFC despite the fact that they don't have a ton of financial flexibility.
The Eagles' best way to free up cap space may actually involve committing to some of the players, as Howie Roseman could save some money in the short-term by agreeing to some new deals with some of his long-time contributors.
By making these three moves, none of which are a straight-up release, Philly will end up back on top by saving some cash where it makes sense.
Eagles could save $18 million in cap space in 2026
Player | Cap Hit w/o Extension or Restructure | Money saved w/Extension or Restructure |
|---|---|---|
Jordan Davis | $12,938,000 | $9,378,400 |
Michael Carter II | $10,920,000 | $6,786,000 |
Jalen Carter | $6,938,331 | $2,062,856 |
It seems like a bit of an unusual decision to commit to two defensive tackles at almost the same time, but Carter and Davis not only have taken the next step forward under Vic Fangio, but their complementary skillsets make the space-eating Davis and the pass rush terror known as Carter a dynamic duo on the interior.
While the Eagles will need to let some of their NFL Draft picks hit the market, Davis and Carter make too much sense to retain. The Eagles can't just churn through young players on the defensive side as a means of counteracting their spending on offense forever, especially when considering how good these two are.
Carter II, acquired in a midseason trade that sent wide receiver John Metchie III to the New York Jets, is a possible standout in the slot who is recovering from what was a very down year in Steve Wilks' defense. Vic Fangio seemed hesitant to give him a huge workload after the acquisition.
Even with the salary cap exploding this season, the Eagles are in such a difficult spot with the rest of the NFC improving around them. Staying pat, especially in this division, is going to nullify the raw talent advantage Nick Sirianni could use to lord over the rest of the NFC in the last half-decade.
Read more: Stephen A. Smith said the quiet part out loud about Sean Mannion as Eagles OC
The Eagles might be able to squeeze one or two more championship runs out of this core before some fairly major retooling is needed. By restructuring these deals, Philly might get the wiggle room they need to possibly entice one big heavy-hitter in the offseason.