• March 19, 2024

Free Agency, Salary Cap Could Hurt Eagles’ Defense

NolanCarroll8The Eagles’ defense has been the team’s most pleasant surprise of the 2015 season.

Billy Davis’ unit has kept the Birds in every game, and the takeaways that the group has been able to produce on a weekly basis have been instrumental in leading the team to all three of their wins.

However, the Eagles may not be able to keep this group together over the long-term.

Nolan Carroll, Walter Thurmond, Vinny Curry, and Cedric Thornton are all set to be free agents at the end of the season. Fletcher Cox, Kiko Alonso, and Bennie Logan will be in contract-years in 2016.

The Eagles will have some very difficult decisions to make during the next off-season.

In addition to the pending unrestricted free agents on defense, the team also needs to figure out what they’re going to do with Sam Bradford, and address key holes on the offensive side of the ball. Chances are that Davis is going to lose at least a couple of his key contributors.

Curry won’t be coming back. He’s got too much talent, and some team will give him the opportunity he deserves as a starter.

I think Carroll is unlikely to return as well. With Eric Rowe waiting in the wings, its going to be hard for the team to justify giving Carroll a long-term.

Thurmond and Thornton? If Thurmond keeps performing at the level he’s been at, he’s going to command a nice price on the open market as well. Team’s are desperate for quality safety play, and a guy with Thurmond’s play making ability would be a great value to many franchises.

Thornton has also been a rock-solid member of the team’s front seven, but I would think that the team would put a priority on locking up both Cox and Logan before paying Thornton.

This isn’t to say that the Eagles could lose all four of those guys to free agency after the season, but its certainly going to be a challenge to retain them.

Denny Basens

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paulman
paulman
November 1, 2015 7:22 pm

I think Curry & Thornton are goners…
Brandon Graham will be the Designated overpaid Pass Rusher next Season to replace Curry…
Kiko Alonso will be switched to Brandon Graham’s OLB Position due to the rise of ILB Jordan Hicks
I believe Walt Thurmond Signs a Reasonable 3 Year to remain as he’s been with 3 Teams the last 3 Years and would love the stability of remaining with the Eagles ..
Nolan Carroll will be difficult to resign as the Eagles have gotten him on the cheap the last 2 Years (as they have with Cedric Thornton) but I do believe that he would prefer to remain an Eagle
I think the Eagles Plan is for Eric Rowe to learn and be that 3rd Safety in2016 and then the eventual Starter at Safety by 2017
Meanwhile J Shepard will become that 3rd CB behind Maxwell/Carroll and then compete for a Starters CB position by 2017

Eagles have Taylor Hart, Brandon Bair to absorb the loss of Cedric Thornton..
There is chatter about th eEagles Trading Vinny Curry to the Dolphins by Tuesday Trade Deadline as the Dolphins lost DE & their Best Pass Rusher Cameron Wake for the Season for a 2016 Draft Pick …

paulman
paulman
November 1, 2015 9:47 pm

Far fetched Paulman Rumor..
NY Jets lose both QB Fizpatrick & Geno Smith to Injuries today

Eagles Trade QB Sam Bradford & DE Vinny Curry for DL Sheldon Richardson
And the NY Jets 3rd Round Draft Pick in 2016 Draft

All 3 Players involved will not be with their Current Teams in 2016 anyways so a Win-Win for everyone…

Next Season DT Bennie Logan moves outside to DE in Cedric Thornton’s spot and Richardson plays DT in their Base Defense
A line Cox, Richardson & Logan as their Base Defense would be very strong and Young..

paulman
paulman
November 1, 2015 9:57 pm

Packers playing 2 Rookie CB’s in Draft Picks D Randall and Goodson

eagles0superbowls
eagles0superbowls
November 2, 2015 3:29 pm

I never would have guessed the Eagles would resign Graham and Kendricks. I foolishly believed the Chipper’s mantra big people beat up little people. Graham and Kendricks are little people. What the Chipper will do is a mystery.
Fletcher Cox is getting a large pay increase. I don’t see him turning down an Eagle signing bonus check and gambling on Free agency as a lame duck playing the entire 2016 season as a mercenary .