9:56pm: McLane offers a minor clarification, tweeting that the base value of McKelvin’s contract is actually $6.2MM.
2:46pm: McKelvin’s deal carries a max value of $6MM, which means that his base value is less than that, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter).
2:29pm: The Eagles and Leodis McKelvin have agreed to terms on a two-year contract, the team announced (on Twitter). The two-year deal is worth just over $6MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
New Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz coached McKelvin in Buffalo, so Philly has been thought to be a logical landing spot for him ever since he was released earlier this month. McKelvin was also scheduled to meet with the Cowboys, so the signing has the added benefit of beating out an NFC East rival.
McKelvin, selected 11th overall in the 2008 draft, had been preparing to enter the final year of his contract with the Bills. Recent reports had suggested the team would explore a reworked contract with McKelvin in an attempt to keep him around, but Buffalo ultimately parted ways with him instead, allowing him to hit the open market.
Despite being a first-round pick, McKelvin never developed into a shutdown corner for the Bills, or even a full-time starter — he has only started more than nine games in a season twice in his career, due to both performance and injuries. In 2015, McKelvin grabbed two interceptions to go along with 32 tackles, nine passes defended, and a fumble recovery. Pro Football Focus ranked him 83rd out of 111 qualified cornerbacks.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.