Recent NFL news could be a bad sign for the Eagles
A move by a rival team could have major implications for the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Washington Commanders recently reached an extension with elite defensive tackle Daron Payne.
Payne signed a deal worth $90 million over four years, with slightly over $59 million guaranteed. That deal averages out to $22.5 million per year and makes Payne the second highest-paid DT in the league.
Why is this bad news for the Eagles? Well, the Eagles have their own elite DT to re-sign.
Javon Hargrave is headed for free agency. The elite tackle is is coming off of an elite season for the Eagles, in which he collected 60 tackles and 11 sacks. Hargrave's performance resulted in a stellar 78.2 grade from PFF.
Those numbers are strikingly similar to Payne's.
Payne finished the 2022 season with 64 tackles and 11.5 sacks. While Payne edged Hargrave in tackles and sacks, PFF was far more complimentary of Hargrave's performance. Payne earned a 58.4 from the site.
NFL insider Aaron Wilson believes that Hargrave will receive the largest deal of the remaining free agent defensive tackles.
Hargrave is five years older than Payne, which is why he is expected to get sightly less annual money.
However, if Hargave is seeking between $20-22 million, he may have priced himself out of Philadelphia. A deal in this range would place Hargrave among the highest-paid defensive tackles. Aaron Donald leads the way making over $31 million per year.
The Eagles currently have around $6.5 million in cap space. In addition to Hargrave, the Eagles have Fletcher Cox, James Bradberry, Robert Quinn, and other important players heading for free agency.
Eagles' fans did get some good news recently, as fellow defensive lineman Brandon Graham was re-signed to a one-year deal.
Hargrave is coming off of a 3 year, $39 million ($13 million per year), so a massive pay raise is in order. The 30-year-old should have plenty of suitors on the open market if it comes to that.
