After a rough first day of legal tampering, the Eagles went from being on the verge of watching all of their defensive players leave to taking a huge step in the right direction.
On day one we witnessed the Eagles bring back Brandon Graham for another season after the speculation that he would be tempted to leave for more money elsewhere. The team continued to work the emotions of their fans as their All-Pro Center Jason Kelce announced his return to the team as well.
Then there was the Darius Slay news. After losing Edwards, Epps, and Hargrave, it was reported that Philly was allowing their All-Pro corner to find a trade suitor that was willing to pay him top dollar. The blows continued to come for the NFC Champions but Tuesday brought some excitement and more anxiety to South Philly. Let’s recap day two of the legal tampering period.
RB Rashaad Penny
The Eagles started the day quietly as the football world waited to see what their next move would be. The much anticipated C.J. Gardner-Johnson deal was all that Eagles fans and media members could think of. Is he staying or is he leaving? What’s going to happen to the secondary?
After a quiet morning the news finally broke out the team would be signing former Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny. Now while Penny has not had the healthiest of seasons throughout his career, he has made the most of his opportunities.
In his career, Penny is averaging 5.7 yards per carry. He’s a downhill runner that bulldozes his way through traffic. The Eagles have needed a back like him for some time and he fits Kenny Gainwell perfectly.
After seeing Miles Sanders take a backseat towards the end of the playoffs, it became evident that Philly would not pay top dollar for the Penn State product. Instead, they opted to sign Rashaad Penny to a one-year deal with a base salary of $1.35 million with $600,000 guaranteed.
That’s a huge steal for one of the more efficient running backs in all of football. Imagine how deadly the offense will be with the RPO. Not only do you have to worry about two great runners in Penny and Hurts but you also have to worry about bringing Rashaad Penny down in hopes of not being trampled over.
CB James Bradberry
While many were concerned about the loss of Darius Slay, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and James Bradberry. The Eagles flipped the tables by bringing James Bradberry back on a three-year deal worth $38 million with $20 million guaranteed.
It’s been reported that Bradberry had multiple offers on the table for more money. Bradberry ultimately chose comfort and reliability by staying in Philadelphia. He mentioned that he spoke with the Eagles’ new DC, Sean Desai, about how he would fit in the scheme. Looks like JB is excited about Desai’s plans if he was willing to take less to stay.
Bradberry is coming off a career year that started with him signing a one-year prove-it deal with the Eagles. After being released by the Giants due to cap reasons, Bradberry landed in South Philly where he would reestablish his place among the elite corners in the game.
While he may have been called for holding in the final drive of the Super Bowl, JB was phenomenal all season long. He only allowed QBs to complete 45% of their passes against him for 382 yards and two touchdowns. He had 17 pass deflections which led to an opposing passer rating of 51.6.
The Bradberry signing could be a key component of how the Eagles help rebuild their defense. If Philadelphia and Slay can agree on a reasonable extension while also finding a way to lock in CJGJ then the Eagles are set up for a successful offseason.
Howie Roseman’s approach over the last few offseason has been to enter the draft with as few holes as possible. Now that day two is complete, I’m curious to see what day three brings the Eagles. Will they lock in the rest of their secondary or is there a splash waiting to be made? Either way, be sure to keep your eyes posted here for more Eagles news.
Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
