The Philadelphia Eagles announced on Thursday morning that they’re bringing back veteran CB Avonte Maddox on a one-year deal.
Eagles bring back Avonte Maddox on one-year deal
Maddox ended his first tenure with the Birds as a Super Bowl winner, starting 64 games and tallying 250 spackles, 8 QB hits, 31 pass defenses and 4 interceptions. The only negative is that he has struggled to stay healthy and his cap-hit before the release was pretty sizeable.
By releasing the Pitt product and allowing him to test free agency waters, the Eagles saved $7M in cap space. They’ve then been able to bring back Maddox on what is almost certainly a cheaper contract than he had at the start of the offseason, and retain a high-level starter in the process.
This is a move that will definitely sit well with Eagles fans. There was a gaping hole at the nickel spot following the departure of Avonte Maddox, with only Zech McPhearson on the roster prior to the signing of Tyler Hall and the potential return of Isiah Rodgers. The return of Maddox gives the Eagles a proven starter who can at least bridge the gap until a long-term solution presents itself.
The Avonte Maddox signing also cements Chauncey Gardner-Johnson as a safety. His versatility is very valuable and he’s proven himself as a solid nickel option in the past, but he will always be most impactful as a safety, especially in Fangio’s scheme.
This gives the Eagles some flexibility going into the NFL Draft knowing that the back-end of their defense is now a lot more stable with high-level starters at each spot (depending on how you view the outside corners) and should allow Roseman some more freedom when spending those early draft picks.
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