Eagles who potentially have much to gain in the aftermath of Avonte Maddox's release
Well, the Philadelphia Eagles are certainly going to look a tad different next season, aren't they? Maybe we should avoid the temptation to be surprised. The NFL's lone constant is change.
There have been changes to the coaching staff. On Monday, Jason Kelce finally called it a career and retired. From what we understand, Fletcher Cox may do the same. As we close March's first week, more change is announced.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Philly plans to release Avonte Maddox, but the theory is both sides are open to a reunion (presumably with Maddox carrying a lower price tag. What can we say? This is a business and a nomadic profession.
That means his departure presumably opens a door for some other guys.
Here are a few Eagles who may benefit from Avonte Maddox's departure... maybe.
Maddox's represented a $9.6 million salary cap hit for 2024. He carries a dead-cap hit of about $7.7 million according to Spotrac.
It appears the Eagles are doing a little addition by subtraction. Their starting slot corner is gone. Someone needs to step up.
Isaiah Rodgers
Isaiah Rodgers is in the fold. Philly has a lot of bodies at the cornerback position. Are we to assume Maddox's departure opens the door for him? It's not a bad idea if that's what Philly is thinking.
Here are a few other guys who could benefit from the extra roster space.
Zech McPhearson
Zech McPhearson was expected to be Avonte Maddox's backup in the slot last season. A preseason injury took care of all of that.
He's in a contract season (and less expensive than Avonte). Don't look now. We may finally see the sustained emergence of the former Red Raider.
Tiawan Mullen
Standing at five-foot-eight and tipping the scales at 181 pounds, Tiawan Mullen's body type screams 'slot corner', but in terms of pecking order, he's also the low man on the cornerback's totem pole.
A player to be named later
Free agency approaches. The 2024 NFL Draft will follow. With some wiggle room to be aggressive. Don't be shocked if we wind up learning Maddox's replacement isn't on the roster yet.
Again, both the Eagles and maddox are open to a possible reunion. If that occurs, some of this may go out the window, but here's where we are for now.