Thankfully for Philadelphia Eagles fans, WIP Midday Show co-host Hugh Douglas missed the mark regarding his recent prediction on the future playing status of Lane Johnson.
Douglas, the former Pro Bowl defensive end for Philadelphia, had envisioned Johnson retiring before the longtime leader of the offensive line announced he would in fact be returning for at least one more year.
Now, another hot take fired out by Douglas could cause quite a stir in the city of brotherly love, though, as Douglas spoke on the status of free agent edge Jaelan Phillips on the 94 WIP Midday Show. Speaking with co-host Joe Giglio, the topic of approaching that $20 million annual range - perhaps even going beyond that - to retain his services was tackled:
"$20 million a year, that's kind of hefty," Douglas said. "You know what, I think to be honest, I think the Eagles are going to allow him, they're probably going to keep tabs on him, but I don't think the Eagles want to give him that. That's why we're at this point. So they're going to let him go in free agency."
Former Pro Bowler doesn't think Jaelan Phillips will be back with Eagles
Facing a numbers crunch with multiple defenders looking for new deals, if a new multi-year deal can't be reached here, another option is the franchise tag for Phillips. It's critical to note, though, that Eagles General Manager Howie Roseman has been extremely selective in going that route. The last time Roseman slapped the tag on a player was back in 2012 with star wideout Desean Jackson, so the chances of that happening with Phillips appear minuscule.
Big news already arrived this weekend by way of defensive tackle Jordan Davis being extended on a new three-year, $78 million pact by Roseman ($65 million guaranteed). Serious question marks still remain on the defensive side of the ball, though, as the futures in midnight green for Phillips, along with Nakobe Dean and Reed Blankenship, are each teeming with uncertainty.
Read more: Eagles can cover potential Reed Blankenship departure with SEC defensive back
Meanwhile, the A.J. Brown drama continues to alternate between soap opera status and false rumors, and the topic of Dallas Goedert possibly moving on remains fluid. Despite legitimate injury concerns, Landon Dickerson and Lane Johnson are, in fact, back for another campaign, but make no mistake about it: This has already been a truly chaotic off-season, one that's providing Eagles fans with plenty of fast-developing storylines to keep close tabs on.