Derek Barnett and Lane Johnson have reworked their contracts. ESPN’s Tim McManus reports (via Twitter) that the two Eagles players have agreed to restructure their contracts.
While details of the moves are unknown, McManus notes that the move will free up 2021 money and push current cash down the road. The reporter suspects that the front office also added voidable years (presumably) to Johnson’s contract, a common mechanism that teams use to clear space.
Johnson has earned three Pro Bowl appearances and a first-team All-Pro nod during his eight years in Philadelphia. The veteran signed a four-year, $72MM deal with the organization in 2019, a contract that included just under $55MM in guaranteed money. At the time, the move made the offensive tackle the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history. The veteran has been willing to work with the organization throughout his career, so it’s not a surprise that the sides agreed to restructure.
Barnett, a 2017 first-round pick, is also an Eagles lifer, and he’s started 24 games for the team over the past two seasons. The defensive end will be playing the 2021 season on his fifth-year option, which will pay him around $9MM this upcoming season. With only a year remaining on his contract, it will be interesting to see what kind of “restructuring” the two sides agreed upon.
That does NOT sound like so much fun!
Barnett needs to step up this year as he’s been a bust so far.
Being a bust and not living up to expectations are different. He’s been productive, just not elite.
Not living up to the expectations of the 14th overall pick is certainly being a bust. He’s been in the league 4 years and doesn’t have 20 sacks and is merely a rotational player. TJ Watt was taken 30th overall and his production dwarfs his. Some defensive players taken later in the have had more production.
I agree with both of you. Barnett is not a bust, but he has been disappointing somewhat. He does need to step it up, but he is not really a bust. If Barnett walked today, he would certainly get a contract and likely would have some decent production on it, even if he didn’t come up with as much as was expected from his draft position.
Players can’t just “step it up” because of where they were drafted. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been picked so high by the Eagles.
That’s another way to look at it. Of course, we all know that hindsight is 20/20. Sometimes a pick is obviously a reach, but Barnett looked like at least a decent pick at the time, so I can’t say that the Eagles were nuts for drafting him so high. In any case, Philadelphia has to work with what they’ve got at this point. Barnett isn’t making much, so there’s not at least anything holding the team hostage financially, and he is still giving them snaps as a contributor. It could be better, but it could certainly be worse.
Barnett is making over $10mil this season and is one off the highest paid defensive players on the team.
Deshaun Watson is not at practice today. Is it possible The Texans told him to stay home with an impending trade to the Eagles coming? Eagles just opened 16million in cap space. seems like an unnecessary move now unless a move is coming
I’d rather he stayed home to turn himself in to the authorities to be processed for his crimes.
What are voidable years?
Voidable Years – “allows to happen is to have the signing bonus spread into additional years for salary cap purposes without committing any base salary to the player in those years. If a player reaches the first of the voidable years, they become a free agent once the league year begins. If the player signs a new contract with the team, the dead money amount for each year stays in place with the new contract along with the financials of their new deal.”
What cap genius picked up the option? Barnett should have been cut and resigned at his true dollar figure, minimum.