The Eagles and Javon Hargrave have agreed to a deal that will make him the highest-paid nose tackle in the NFL. The former Steeler agreed to a three year, $39 million deal with $26 million guaranteed.
The team made a similar move last offseason when they signed Malik Jackson at the start of free agency. This move definitely shows that building in the trenches is still the Eagles’ number one priority. Hargrove will join Cox, Jackson, and Ridgeway in hopes to have a solid rotation entering the new season.
Last season the Eagles lost Jernigan, Ridgeway, and Jackson to injuries early on and struggled to find the right companion for Cox In the middle.
This is also a sign that Timmy Jernigan is highly unlikely to return.
The 27-year old nose tackle played in all 16 games for the last three seasons and has posted a total of 12.5 sacks in that time period. In 2019, Hargrave was rated as the 8th best interior lineman in the league with a grade of 83.4. He’s also rallied to 13 tackles for loss in his last two seasons.
This is an absolute win for a team that struggled to find consistency along defensive the line last season. At 6’2, 305 lbs, Hargrave has been tremendous against the run and has the explosiveness and length to penetrate the backfield in an instance. A rarity for not only a player of his size but to find an interior defensive lineman that is good against the run and great at pass rush, this may have just been a huge steal for Howie Roseman and company.
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
