The Eagles shook things up yesterday by surprisingly trading EDGE Bryce Huff to the San Francisco 49ers just one season after signing him to a 3-year deal worth over $50M. The moves comes after a disappointing debut campaign in Philadelphia, but what does his departure really mean for the Birds?
Salary cap impact
While the deal can’t be finalized until June 1st, Bryce Huff has already restructured his deal, with Field Yates providing a full insight below.
The Eagles declined Huff’s guaranteed option bonus to convert that into a base salary, and then turned $9M of that $15M into a signing bonus, meaning the 49ers will only be taking on around $7M, which for them, is very appealing if Robert Saleh can get the most out of a player he once coached to a 10-sack season with the Jets.
This move also creates $15M in cap space for the forthcoming season, which is huge when you think of the big names that will need new deals soon.
Jordan Davis had his fifth-year option exercised, Jalen Carter is on the verge of a big payday, and the Eagles have huge deals elsewhere that are soon to snowball, including the likes of DeVonta Smith & A.J Brown, as well as recently-signed LB Zack Baun and the eclectic Saquon Barkley.
Oh, and not to mention Nolan Smith, who is coming off of an explosive campaign himself and is now the lone player who the Eagles can confidently build around at the position.
Why did the Eagles trade Bryce Huff?
The signing of Huff in itself felt very out of left field at the time. Huff did amass a 10-sack campaign with the Jets, but did so in a rotational role, with most of his sacks giving him a pretty simple path to the quarterback deep into drives with offensive fronts tired.
What Roseman was banking on was for Huff to turn that potential into sustained growth, which meant making the leap into a full-time role. Learning to pace yourself, your technique, and your motor is a very different beast from going all-out on every snap because you’d soon burn out. This was a tougher transition than expected and by the time Huff was beginning to settle into Fangio’s defense, an injury derailed his season.
The Eagles could’ve gambled on keeping Huff around. He is still only 27-years-old, but with that contract mounting up quickly, would they get the required production from him? Would it be worthwhile when the likes of Nolan Smith enjoyed breakout years that same season?
Howie Roseman decided to rectify a mistake early, give the Eagles some cap space and recoup a mid-round pick while doing so. You have to give him credit for what, when a Roseman of years past, or many other GM’s would simply go down with the ship.
Who replaces Huff?
This is perhaps the most intriguing part of this trade. The Eagles went bargain hunting in free agency and signed both Azeez Ojulari and Josh Uche. Ojulari netted 6 sacks for the Giants last year, while Uche has 20.5 to his name in his career, but only played in 22% of snaps after landing in Kansas City midseason, limiting his production.
However, the two combine for an average contract value of around $4M. The decision here was a simple one. Find proven production on a budget, and allow those players to nestle in behind breakout star Nolan Smith and a positional group that has a ton of new flavors.
Jalyx Hunt exploded onto the scene in his rookie year. The hybrid player was drafted out of Houston Christian and at the time the decision was met with criticism due to how high he was taken. But his remarkably athletic skillset soon silenced critics, with Hunt ending 2024 with 1.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles.
The Eagles love versatility along their defensive front, and after losing Brandon Graham, Josh Sweat, and now Bryce Huff in the same offseason, it was clear this was never going to be a quick fix.
Instead, banking on the continued ascent of Nolan Smith, allowing young players like Hunt to develop without pressure, and plugging holes with proven vets on a budget certainly feels like the right way to go.
Training Camp will provide our first real insight into how this newly shaped defensive front looks, and although it’s going to be a tall order to replace three key components, Roseman has made the right calls on each in terms of the financial side of things, and there appears to be a clear path to investing in the future of Fangio’s defensive ends.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
