The new NFL year officially starts on March 9th..but the Eagles have just two days after that opening at 4PM EST to make a decision on the future of linebacker, Mychal Kendricks.
According to ESPN’s Adam Caplan, a whopping $4.35M of the California product’s $4.85M contract will become fully guaranteed if he is still on the Eagles roster by Saturday.
#Eagles have a decision to make on LB Mychal Kendricks by Saturday when $4.35m of his $4.85m base salary becomes fully gtd.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) March 6, 2017
Kendricks was selected in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft and has since racked up 382 tackles (26 for a loss), 12 sacks, 3 interceptions and 20 pass breakups to go with 6 forced fumbles. A new scheme in 2016 saw Kendricks complete a career-low 36 tackles and for the first time in his career, he failed to attain a single sack. He also played in just 26% of defensive snaps..a knock-on effect of being tasked with playing in the team’s final preseason game. A rare sight for a player regarded as a starter.
The Eagles seemed perfectly content with using the nickel formation more often than not..leaving both Mychal Kendricks and Stephen Tulloch on the sidelines. A blitzing linebacker at heart, the 26-year old found himself being utilized in minimal fashion under Schwartz.
Once considered a big part of this defense, Mychal Kendricks has now become expendable. The Eagles were reported to have been shopping Kendricks in the early weeks of February..and those talks only intensified with the arrival of the NFL Combine. While the asking price is still not yet known, the good news is for the Eagles that there is absolutely reason to believe Kendricks still has a lot left in the tank, he just happens to be in the wrong system and sat behind the wrong linebackers on the depth chart..which could prove instrumental in acquiring a substantial return.
Whatever the situation may be, the Eagles can’t afford to be picky if they do intend on moving on from the former second round pick. If they wait too long on pulling the trigger, they could be faced with a hefty cap hit in 2017 due to the guaranteed money being activated. The Birds’ are well and truly on the clock..but what happens from here on out is anyone’s guess.
However, the guaranteed money doesn’t count against the cap. If the Eagles were to cut Kendricks after June, they would save around $5M in cap space. So while the pressure cooker to find a trade suitor may be on..it’s not the be all and end all. However, once that money does become guaranteed, it’s naturally going to have a huge impact on teams looking to acquire his services.
Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
