The Eagles salary cap purge has officially begun. According to an official announcement from the team, the Eagles have parted ways with veteran cornerback Leodis McKelvin.
Roster Move: #Eagles release CB Leodis McKelvin. pic.twitter.com/JBf7oKxG1w
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) February 8, 2017
McKelvin was bought in by the Eagles as a former pupil of Jim Schwartz, strengthening the cornerback position and bringing the prototypical style needed to execute the new system. Unfortunately, the play of the former 1st round pick was wildly inconsistent. Along with an injury battle throughout the year that led to the rise of rookie Jalen Mills, the 31-year old continued to give up big plays and struggle in his ninth year.
The former Bill recorded 43 tackles and 2 interceptions this season, playing in 13 games.
More importantly, the Eagles have saved approximately $3.45M in cap space by releasing the cornerback. The move states an intent to not only upgrade the position, but now revamp it completely, leaving Nolan Carroll, Jalen Mills and Ron Brooks as the starting trio.
The first move made this season by Howie Roseman will be one that is met with a positive reaction from fans, who will be excited to see what the future holds. From Bradley Fletcher to Byron Maxwell, free agent corners just haven’t performed in Philadelphia..and Leodis McKelvin was no exception.
This leaves the Eagles with an estimated $10M in cap space heading into the offseason, but with the purge already taking shape..the question now becomes, who’s next?
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
