Like pedals falling off a rose, the Eagles’ NFC championship roster began to wither away during the NFL’s legal tampering period. As expected, the Eagles lost several key players who signed lucrative contracts with other teams. As of this writing, the Eagles saw defensive lineman Javon Hargrave, offensive tackle Andre Dillard, linebackers T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White and free safety Marcus Epps all move on for greener pastures. Hargrave, Edwards and Epps were each starters on the Eagles’ defense last season. Dillard was a backup who made nine starts in 43 games with the Eagles. White was a spot starter on last year’s team. The Eagles have also parted ways with running back Miles Sanders, who bid adieu to Philadelphia via social media on Tuesday. The Carolina Panthers, who recently acquired the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft, are planning to sign Sanders.
Hargrave agreed to a four-year, $84 million deal with the 49ers, who fell to the Eagles in last year’s NFC Championship Game. A 2021 Pro Bowler, Hargrave tallied a career-high 11 sacks for the Eagles last season.
Edwards, a starter on the Eagles’ defense the previous three seasons, agreed to a three-year deal with the Chicago Bears that is worth $19.25 million with $12 million guaranteed. A tackling machine, Edwards had 159 stops for the Eagles last season after posting 130 tackles in 2021. Epps, who logged more snaps than any other Eagles defensive player last season, reportedly agreed to a two-year, $12 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. In his third full season in Philadelphia, Epps set career highs with six pass breakups and 94 tackles.
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Dillard is signing a three-year, $29 million contract with the Tennessee Titans. The 22nd overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Dillard will get the chance to compete for a starting job in Nashville.
White is reportedly signing a two-year, $11 million deal with the Arizona Cardinals. While those losses hurt, the Eagles’ offseason has had some positive news. Jason Kelce, the team’s future Hall of Fame center, announced that he is returning for a 13th season. Fellow longtime Eagle Brandon Graham is staying in town after he signed a one-year, $6 million deal and defensive lineman Fletcher Cox is returning as well on a one-year, $10 million deal. Starting cornerbacks James Bradberry and Darius Slay will be back along with backup running back Boston Scott.Philadelphia made its own splash Tuesday when it reportedly came to terms with former Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny, who averaged 5.7 yards-per-carry during his time in Seattle.