Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles are the first team to agree to terms with a first-round selection following the 2023 NFL Draft.
Philadelphia agreed to terms with ninth overall selection Jalen Carter on a four-year, $21.8 million deal that is fully guaranteed according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Carter, the defensive tackle out of Georgia had his deal negotiated by Drew Rosenhaus along with members of the Eagles organization.
Carter was long considered one of the best defensive players coming into the 2023 NFL Draft. In three seasons with the Bulldogs, the tackle notched six sacks and seven tackles for losses. He was considered the best all-around defender on a Georgia defense that won back-to-back national championships.
There was a reason Carter, who many considered the best overall prospect, fell to ninth overall though. He was charged with two misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing in connection to the January 15th crash that claimed the lives of two members of the Bulldogs program. That, on top of poor testing at both the Pro-Day and Combine made the defensive tackle slip to where he was taken in the draft.
Trusting in the Eagles culture…
The Eagles believe that surrounding him with a locker room full of veteran leaders like Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, and Jalen Hurts will help him stay on the straight-and-narrow track. Additional Georgia teammates like Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, and Nolan Smith can also provide a level of consistency in the young defensive stalwart’s life.
Carter is the first 2023 first-rounder to sign a deal with the team that drafted him. The Eagles moved up to ninth overall from 10 thanks to a draft-day trade that sent a 2024 fourth-round pick along to Chicago.
With the distraction of a contract negotiation now taken care of, the Eagles can now have their first-round selection focus solely on football and OTAs that have already begun to take place.
AP Photo/Ashley Landis
