The Eagles went into this offseason with a plan to create a “significant” amount of cap space, and they’ve started that process today. Philadelphia has released cornerback Leodis McKelvin, the club announced.
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McKelvin followed former Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to Philadelphia, inking a two-year, $6.2MM deal last offseason. The 31-year-old McKelvin was due a $1.2MM roster bonus later this offseason, a payment the Eagles clearly had no intention of paying. By releasing McKelvin now, Philadelphia clears $3.2MM in cap room, and incurs just $250K in dead money.
In his first (and only) season with the Eagles, McKelvin appeared in 13 games (12 starts), managing 16 passes defensed and two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. Even with the benefit of playing in a familiar scheme, McKelvin graded as just the league’s No. 71 corner among 112 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
McKelvin is unlikely to be the only veteran released by Philadelphia this offseason, as previous reports have indicated Connor Barwin, Ryan Mathews, Jason Kelce, Ron Brooks, Allen Barbre, and Mychal Kendricks could all be on the chopping block.