Well, that escalated quickly. Just hours after hopping onto NFL network and demanding a pay-rise, the Eagles have traded veteran defensive end, Michael Bennett, to the New England Patriots.
While compensation (draft picks) remains unclear, what is clear is that the Eagles will free up a further $7.2M in cap space…taking them even further into cap luxury, something we didn’t think we’d be saying this offseason.
Bennett was one of the Eagles’ most impactful players last year, recording 9 sacks and fueling the pass rush in its darkest times. Relentless in his play, he set the tone when depth ran thin and came up with some of the biggest plays of the year. However, the re-signing of Brandon Graham adds an element of security that probably dented his chances of an extension…and if it’s more money that’s the sole driving force, it doesn’t seem to be the perfect fit it once was.
Meanwhile, New England, (who had interest trading for Bennett last offseason) has become somewhat of a haven for players in these kinds of situations and there’s no questioning that Bennett will be just as impactful in the City of Super Bowl 52 runner up’s as he was in Philadelphia…but will it be worth the price?
The Eagles pass-rush now consists of BG, Derek Barnett, Chris Long and Josh Sweat. It’s hardly an underwhelming unit and that further $7.2M would be more than enough to potentially make a run on a short term deal for someone like Ziggy Ansah. The Eagles are also likely to add at least one more face to the position group during the NFL Draft.
At the end of the day, the Eagles are a player-first organization, who organize their contracts with a team-first mentality. If it’s no longer about culture or winning and solely about individual production…then Philly really wasn’t the place for a guy with character concerns, anyway.
The Eagles reportedly swap their seventh rounder for a fifth, gain $7M in cap room and can rest easy knowing that this offseason of building will contain one less headache.
Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
