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Philadelphia Eagles News & Rumors

RB Rashaad Penny Retires

July 30th, 2024 at 8:39am CST by Adam La Rose

Rashaad Penny‘s latest bid to put together a healthy campaign has come to an abrupt end. The Panthers announced on Tuesday that they have placed the veteran running back on the reserve/retired list, ending his career.

Penny entered the league with high expectations as a first-round pick. His Seattle tenure began with 24 appearances across the 2018 and ’19 seasons. He did not log a heavy workload during that time, but he scored six total touchdowns while displaying impressive efficiency on the ground. The years since then have been marred by injuries, however.

The 28-year-old was limited to just three games in 2020, and his Seahawks future was in doubt entering the following campaign. Penny’s best season came in 2021, when he scored six touchdowns while leading the NFL with a 6.3 yards per carry average. That performance earned him a one-year, $5.75MM deal with Seattle, but that pact did not produce the desired outcome. Penny had a strong start to the year in 2022, but a major injury (including a fractured fibula) limited him to just five contests.

Penny had a brief stint in Philadelphia last season, logging only 11 carries. His free agent market was understandably limited this spring, although the Seahawks showed interest in a reunion. Seattle has made recent draft investments in the backfield with Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet, and that tandem will remain intact for 2024. Penny inked a deal with the Panthers in May, but his time in Charlotte has already come to an end.

Carolina signed Miles Sanders in free agency last offseason, but he struggled mightily during his debut Panthers season. Sanders still has a future with the team, but he will continue to have competition for playing time during training camp. Chuba Hubbard and second-round rookie Jonathon Brooks are set to handle the bulk of the load for Carolina this season. Rather than attempting to catch on with a new team, meanwhile, Penny will hang up his cleats.

The San Diego State product will end his career with 46 combined regular and postseason appearances to his name. Penny accumulated just over $17MM in career earnings, and he will now turn his attention to his post-playing endeavors.

Eagles’ James Bradberry Suggested Move To Safety, Discusses Roster Status

July 28th, 2024 at 11:32am CST by Rory Parks

Back in March, we learned that the Eagles were planning to retain cornerback James Bradberry, who is under club control through 2025. However, in light of Bradberry’s struggles in 2023, the additions of Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the draft, and the reinstatement of Isaiah Rodgers from a gambling suspension, Bradberry’s place on the roster does not seem to be a sure thing.

Bradberry, who is entering his age-31 season, yielded a massive 114.3 QB rating on passes thrown in his direction last year, and Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 100th-best corner out of 127 qualified players. It had been reported that Philadelphia was toying with the idea of moving the 2020 Pro Bowler to safety on a full-time basis, and we now know that the player himself suggested the change.

When speaking to reporters at training camp this week, Bradberry said, “of course, I didn’t have the best season. Going into my ninth year, I know they signed Isaiah Rodgers as well. Of course, he wasn’t able to participate at the time when I requested [the move to safety] but I knew eventually, he was probably going to end up being on the team. We had a lot of young guys at corner in the room anyways, feel like it was lighter at safety” (via Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia).

Bradberry approached DC Vic Fangio about the move to safety, and Fangio was receptive, although the celebrated defensive mind cautioned that the cornerback-to-safety transition is not necessarily as seamless as many believe. And while the Eagles do indeed have a number of young CBs on the roster, a starting safety job is not presently available, with C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Reed Blankenship entrenched in the first-team roles.

As Zangaro observes, Bradberry has been taking reps as a second-team safety in camp. He has spoken with GM Howie Roseman, and though he would naturally prefer to start somewhere, he has not requested a trade.

“Nah, I was going to let Howie handle that,” Bradberry said. “We had a conversation and right now, I’m still on the team. And while I’m still on the team, I’m going to try to find my role. If they want to get rid of me, they’re going to get rid of me.”

He further acknowledged the uncertainty of his 2024 home by adding, “I’m on the team right now so I’m taking it day by day. In the NFL, you never know. I could be traded, I could not be traded. I’m preparing for anything.”

The Eagles may prefer to keep Bradberry to see if he can adapt to the safety position and perhaps make himself useful as a multipurpose defensive back in a Fangio defense that prizes versatility, especially since his trade value is likely quite low (and Bradberry was, after all, a Second Team All-Pro in 2022). If the Eagles were to find a trade partner, they would clear out a minimal $1.21MM in cap space.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/26/24

July 26th, 2024 at 6:46pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor moves to wrap up the week:

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Activated from active/NFI list: WR Shaquan Davis

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Blair reunites with the Seahawks after two years away. A former second-round pick for Seattle, Blair spent parts of 2022 with the Panthers and Eagles before spending last year out with an Achilles tear.

Cannella, who formerly went by Sal, played for the Arlington Renegades of the UFL earlier this year, leading the league with six receiving touchdowns and finishing first among tight ends with 53 catches and 497 yards. He’s been in an out of the NFL with stints in the USFL and XFL before; the Bucs are hoping this time will stick.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/25/24

July 25th, 2024 at 7:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Placed on active/PUP list: FB Robert Burns

Carolina Panthers

  • Waived/injured: DT Popo Aumavae

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

  • Cut via injury settlement: WR Jared Wayne

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Signed: WR Griffin Hebert
  • Waived from active/NFI list: T Gottlieb Ayedze

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: WR Ty Scott
  • Waived: CB Andrew Whitaker
  • Activated from active/NFI list: LB Easton Gibbs

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: TE Sal Cannella

Tennessee Titans

Via this transaction, the Jets are temporarily moving Reddick off their 90-man roster. Unlike placements on the active/PUP or active/NFI lists that are commonplace in July, Reddick is technically out of the mix for the Jets until his holdout ends. The trade acquisition has not shown up at any point since being traded to the Jets in March.

Diggs suffered a torn ACL during a late-September practice. He is not expected to be sidelined past Week 1, but the Cowboys will not have him at practice for a bit.

Levin has been a Titans backup for most of the past six seasons, playing regularly on special teams and starting four games during his career. An interior O-lineman, Levin played the past two seasons on one-year Tennessee deals. This marks yet another chance for Ray, a Broncos first-rounder back in 2015. This agreement comes after Ray worked out for the Titans in May. Ray, 31, spent time with the Bills during the 2023 offseason but has not played in a regular-season NFL game since 2018.

Eagles’ Brandon Graham To Retire After 2024 Season

July 25th, 2024 at 8:44am CST by Adam La Rose

The Eagles saw two members of their ‘Core Four’ retire following the 2023 season. Center Jason Kelce and defensive tackle Fletcher Cox have elected to hang up their cleats, but defensive end Brandon Graham will play out one more year in Philadelphia.

The latter confirmed at the start of training camp that 2024 will be the final year of his decorated career. Graham, 36, worked out a one-year, $4MM deal in March. That pact came as no surprise given the mutual interest which existed on a final campaign being spent with the only organization he has played for.

“Last first day as a player. I don’t know what the future holds with the organization,” Graham said when speaking to the media (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). “It’s my last year, so just trying to soak it all in, trying to enjoy every day.”

The former first-rounder made it clear in the aftermath of the Eagles’ wild-card loss in January he (along with right tackle Lane Johnson) intended to continue playing in 2024. Graham already holds the franchise record for games played (195), and suiting up for the coming campaign will make him the first Eagle to play 15 seasons with the organization. He will look to add to his personal accolades this year in addition to winning a second Super Bowl.

Graham served as a starter along the edge from 2015-21, but over the past two seasons he has seen his playing time drop. The Michigan product logged a snap share of 43% in 2022, and that figure fell to 34% last year. The Eagles have Josh Sweat and free agent addition Bryce Huff in place as projected starters at the defensive end spot, along with 2023 first-rounder Nolan Smith positioned to take on an increased workload.

While plenty will be expected of that trio, Graham will continue to contribute in a rotational capacity this season. He posted only three sacks last year, but the 2022 campaign saw him set a career high in that department with 11. Regardless of what happens on the field in 2024, Graham will look to find a role in the organization once he officially hangs up his cleats.

49ers Extended Offer To Bill Belichick; Cowboys, Eagles Still On Longtime HC’s Radar

July 24th, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

At a few points during the Kyle Shanahan era, the 49ers showed interest in Tom Brady. One of those memorably included John Lynch asking about the then-Patriots quarterback and Bill Belichick quickly dismissing anything of the sort. With Brady now retired, the 49ers did turn their attention to his longtime head coach.

Famously going just 1-for-8 in terms of interviews with HC-needy teams this offseason, Belichick is set to sit out the year. He has booked multiple TV gigs — with the Manningcast and Inside the NFL — but remains interested in returning to the NFL in 2025. This will, however, be Belichick’s first season out of the NFL since 1974. Shanahan attempted to see if he could change that.

The 49ers extended an invitation for Belichick to join their staff in some capacity, giving the 24-year Patriots HC the option of choosing a role. It is unclear if this overture took place before the 49ers decided on Nick Sorensen as their DC, but Belichick undoubtedly could have held a key role with San Francisco’s defense had he sought one.

“I threw it all out to him, like whatever he’d want to do. I was like, would you be interested?” Shanahan said, via The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami (subscription required). “He was very nice and appreciative, but he politely turned me down. He loves football so much that you never know what he would want.”

Belichick did memorably send Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers at the 2017 trade deadline, after having aimed to avoid trading Brady’s then-backup. The 49ers quickly accepted, sending a second-round pick to the Pats for a player who became their starting quarterback through the 2022 season. This mutually respectful relationship may again feature the two coaching against one another, but that will not come in 2024.

Only the Falcons interviewed Belichick for their HC job, though the Commanders spoke with the eight-time Super Bowl winner (two as a DC). The 49ers also had Steve Spagnuolo on their radar for the DC position, but the Chiefs quickly extended their standout defensive play-caller. Belichick, 72, has not held a non-HC or coordinator role in the NFL since 1996, when he served as the Pats’ DBs coach under Bill Parcells. He will still try for another chance at a top job in 2025, and the 49ers will almost definitely not be on his radar.

The NFC East continues to come up here, as ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler said during an appearance on Talkin’ Ball with Pat Leonard (of the New York Daily News) Belichick would likely want the Eagles‘ job “in the worst way.” NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran also pointed to this being a fit, saying the Eagles would be the more likely destination compared to a Cowboys or Giants landing.

Philly and Dallas looked into Belichick this offseason but stuck with their existing HCs. Nick Sirianni may not have been all that close to the hot seat, but the Super Bowl HC hired new offensive and defensive coordinators. After a second-half collapse, Sirianni should not be considered especially safe going into his fourth season in charge. Mike McCarthy is famously on a lame-duck contract, which he admitted Wednesday (via the Dallas Morning News’ David Moore) is “a challenge.”

The Giants also have not featured much patience post-Tom Coughlin, though their HCs in that span have given them little reason to stay the course. Two years after a Coach of the Year season, Brian Daboll has moved toward a hot seat. Belichick reuniting with the Giants would be a fascinating storyline, as he collected his first two rings as Parcells’ DC from 1985-90. But Big Blue may be transitioning at quarterback next year. The Cowboys and Eagles are closer to contention, and Fowler noted earlier this offseason the appeal these two teams — along with the Giants — would have for Belichick.

The 29-year HC veteran is a Howie Roseman fan as well, per Curran. Belichick was ready to cede some personnel control had he landed the Falcons gig. A partnership with the Eagles or Cowboys, where established front office hierarchies are in place, would not feature nearly the level of control Belichick held in New England.

With no NFL HC being hired past age 66, Belichick may only have one more offseason as a realistic candidate. His running ties to NFC East clubs stand to make the 2025 cycle one of the most memorable in modern NFL history.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/24/24

July 24th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Placed on active/NFI list: T Gottlieb Ayedze, WR Shaquan Davis
  • Placed on active/PUP list: S Sydney Brown

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

In New Orleans, Young has officially made the comeback from offseason neck surgery, passing his physical today alongside Olave, who is no stranger to offseason injuries.

Treadwell will join his eighth team in nine years after only making one catch in five games with the Ravens last season.

Brown is working his way back from an ACL tear that he suffered in the final game of his rookie season last year, so it’s no surprise that he will start the offseason on PUP.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/23/24

July 23rd, 2024 at 8:25pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: OT Julién Davenport

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

  • Reverted to IR: WR Jared Wayne
  • Released from IR: WR Jaxon Janke

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Latest On Eagles HC Nick Sirianni

July 22nd, 2024 at 11:14am CST by Adam La Rose

Plenty of attention will be paid to how the Eagles fare at the start of 2024 given the way in which last season ended. Success in rebounding from a second-half collapse and a wild-card exit (or a lack thereof) will of course have implications for head coach Nick Sirianni.

The 43-year-old guided Philadelphia to a 14-3 record and a trip to the Super Bowl in 2022. For that reason, it came as something of a surprise his job security was a talking point at times this offseason despite the poor end to the ’23 campaign. Sirianni was retained, but major changes on his staff were deemed necessary for him to remain in place for a fourth season.

Diving deeper into this situation, Dianna Russini noted on The Athletic’s Scoop City podcast that Sirianni had “100 percent” control over the Eagles’ offense during Brian Johnson‘s tenure as offensive coordinator. The latter was fired at the end of the season, one during which (as Russini adds) Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts did not always mesh well with one another on a personal level and issues related to a conservative, run-first approach emerged. Sirianni publicly admitted to the offense’s shortcomings down the stretch in 2023 and said he would take a step back with respect to his influence moving forward.

Russini notes that Sirianni was never truly in danger of being fired, but he did not have free reign when hiring the replacements for Johnson and DC Sean Desai. General manager Howie Roseman “had his hands all over every decision” this offseason, per Russini. Notably, that included the hiring of Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio as offensive and defensive coordinators. Veteran coaches – especially those with a winning percentage as strong as Sirianni’s .667 mark – are typically able to make such staff changes without heavy front office influence.

Much of the Eagles’ offensive success in 2024 will depend on how Moore fares in his next offensive coordinator posting. The 35-year-old spent four seasons with that title in Dallas before a single campaign at the helm of the Chargers’ offense. If Moore can prove to be an effective Shane Steichen replacement, Sirianni could afford to take a less involved approach on that side of the ball. Of course, improvement in the secondary in particular will also be needed as Fangio – who hopes to complete his storied NFL career in Philadelphia – takes control of the defense.

It would come as no surprise if a repeat of last season’s drop-off following a 10-1 start resulted in further changes along the sidelines. As a result, Russini predicts Sirianni will “probably” be on a relatively short leash entering the 2024 campaign. With Bill Belichick looming as a potential replacement, Sirianni’s job status will be worth monitoring closely.

The NFL’s Eight-Figure Dead Money Hits For 2024

July 18th, 2024 at 10:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL moved into new territory this offseason, with one Broncos decision creating a staggering gap between the most costly dead money hits and No. 2 on the all-time list. Beyond Denver’s Russell Wilson release, other teams are taking on notable dead cap hits in 2024. Here are the players who will account for more than $10MM in dead money on teams’ payrolls this year.

  1. Russell Wilson, QB (Broncos): $53MM
  2. Stefon Diggs, WR (Bills): $31.1MM
  3. Kirk Cousins, QB (Vikings): $28.5MM
  4. Haason Reddick, EDGE (Eagles) $21.52MM
  5. Jamal Adams, S (Seahawks) $20.83MM
  6. J.C. Jackson, CB (Chargers): $20.83MM
  7. David Bakhtiari, T (Packers): $18.15MM
  8. Danielle Hunter, EDGE (Vikings): $14.91MM
  9. Carlton Davis, CB (Buccaneers) $14.1MM
  10. Andrus Peat, OL (Saints): $13.64MM
  11. Kevin Byard, S (Titans): $13.36MM
  12. Mike Williams, WR (Chargers): $12.46MM
  13. Aaron Jones, RB (Packers): $12.36MM
  14. Chandler Jones, EDGE (Raiders): $12.27MM
  15. Mike Evans, WR (Buccaneers): $12.19MM
  16. Keenan Allen, WR (Chargers): $11.62MM
  17. Xavien Howard, CB (Dolphins): $11.41MM
  18. Michael Thomas, WR (Saints): $11.19MM
  19. Laken Tomlinson, G (Jets): $10.74MM
  20. Leonard Williams, DL (Giants): $10.64MM
  21. Arik Armstead, DL (49ers) $10.31MM
  22. Quandre Diggs, S (Seahawks): $10.26MM
  23. Byron Jones, CB (Dolphins): $10.1MM
  24. Maliek Collins, DT (Texans): $10MM

Months after trading for Wilson, the Broncos gave the decorated quarterback a five-year, $245MM extension. While Wilson offered something of a bounce-back effort from a shockingly mediocre 2022, Sean Payton‘s team still opted to designate him as a post-June 1 cut. Wilson’s $37MM injury guarantee, which the Broncos attempted to move in an effort that led to NFLPA involvement but no grievance, would have resulted in comparable dead money in 2025 had he remained on Denver’s roster on Day 5 of the 2024 league year and then been released next year.

The Broncos will receive a small cap credit — due to Wilson’s veteran minimum Steelers deal — in 2025, but the team will take on more than $83MM in total dead money from the release. This shatters the NFL record for dead money, which the Falcons previously held by trading Matt Ryan ($40.5MM), and the contract will remain on Denver’s books through the 2025 season. The Broncos opted to take on more dead money this year than next, separating this post-June 1 cut from most teams’ strategies.

The Bills’ decision to trade Diggs less than two years after giving him a four-year extension broke the non-QB dead money record. Unlike the Wilson matter, Buffalo will take on the Pro Bowl wide receiver’s full dead cap hit this year. Ditto Green Bay, which passed on a Bakhtiari post-June 1 designation. The Chargers will also be rid of the Allen and Williams responsibilities after 2024. The Seahawks also passed on post-June 1 designations with Adams and Diggs.

New Orleans has Thomas set to count more than $9MM in dead money in 2025 as well due to using the June 1 strategy. The Dolphins are still paying out the Jones contract from a 2023 post-June 1 designation, while Howard’s post-June 1 status will create a $15.7MM dead money penalty in 2025.

Void years created the Vikings’ Cousins cap hit. After attempting to negotiate a fourth contract with the veteran quarterback last year, the parties failing to come to terms resulted in void years being added in a restructure. The Falcons came in much higher than the Vikings were willing to go, guarantee-wise, leading Minnesota to a new QB path and significant Cousins dead money.

The Eagles also included three void years on Reddick’s contract, and the Buccaneers will eat some Evans dead money — despite re-signing the 11th-year wide receiver just before free agency — due to a void year-driven trigger before the latest contract was signed.

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