Sam Bradford‘s dispute with the Eagles has garnered all the headlines in recent weeks, but, as Michael David Smith of PFT notes, the quarterback is now back at work while Fletcher Cox‘s holdout continues. Cox is not required to report for the voluntary May workouts, but his absence is certainly notable as we close in on June’s mandatory three-day minicamp. As Joel Corry of CBSSports (on Twitter) points out, Cox will be out more than $76K if he is not in attendance for those practices. 
Eagles executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman says that Cox is a “huge part” of the team’s future, but the two sides will have to smooth out this contract situation for that to come to fruition. One report last month indicated that the two sides were closing in on a long-term deal that contains more than $52MM in guarantees while Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer heard that no deal was close. Roughly three weeks later, there’s still no agreement between standout defensive lineman and Philadelphia.
Cox, 25, enjoyed a career-year in 2015, setting a new career high with 9.5 sacks. He also racked up 71 tackles, three forced fumbles, and a pair of fumble recoveries. The performance earned the former first-round pick his first Pro Bowl nod, along with a top-10 spot on Pro Football Focus’ rankings of interior defenders — he placed ninth out of 123 qualified players.
The Mississippi State alum is scheduled to earn $7.799MM before hitting the open market after the 2016 season. The Eagles, of course, do not want to let Cox test the open waters.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
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