Tag: Al-Quadin Muhammad

15 free agents the Eagles can sign that don’t count against compensatory picks

We’re looking at 15 players the Philadelphia Eagles can sign in 2023 NFL Free Agency that won’t count against the compensatory pick formula

The NFL’s new league is less than a week away, and with the legal tampering period scheduled to start on Monday, Philadelphia will look to retool on defense, while making cost-effective decisions.

All-Pro quarterback Jalen Hurts and his contract is the biggest concern this offseason, but the Eagles will also need to navigate 19 looming free agents and the likelihood that they’ll lose C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Javon Hargrave and James Bradberry.

GM Howie Roseman has made it clear that he’s prepared to lose several key starters and he’ll retool via the draft with a handful of 2024 compensatory picks.

The formula is simple in nature.

If you lose more unrestricted free agents than you sign, you are eligible for that many compensatory selections. What round they come is determined by how big their contract is.

Roseman and other general managers can take advantage of the rule by signing players released before their contract expires. Those players don’t count toward the formula.

Plenty of players will be available to sign this offseason that can both help the team and not count against the formula.

Here are 15 players Philadelphia could sign that wouldn’t count against 2024 compensatory picks.

Predicting the fate of Bears’ roster cut candidates

Here’s a look at some Bears who have been considered cut candidates and what we believe will happen with them.

The Chicago Bears are in the midst of what could be a franchise-altering offseason, where general manager Ryan Poles will be looking to retool the league’s worst roster in 2022.

When looking at the Bears’ roster, there aren’t a lot of expensive contracts on the books. Safety Eddie Jackson has the biggest cap hit at $17.09 million, but he doesn’t feel like someone who could be on the chopping block.

Not to mention, Chicago is in an excellent place in terms of cap space, where they’re expected to have roughly $100 million, according to Spotrac. That’s the most in the NFL (by a wide margin).

But there are some veterans who could be cap casualties heading into the offseason, especially if Poles can find upgrades at their respective positions while saving some money along the way.

Here’s a look at some players who are considered cut candidates and what we believe will happen with them:

4 Bears who could be salary cap casualties in 2023

These Bears veterans are on the chopping block.

The Chicago Bears are just beginning what could be a franchise-altering offseason, where general manager Ryan Poles will be looking to retool the league’s worst roster in 2022. And he has the resources to get it done.

When looking at the Bears’ roster, there aren’t a lot of expensive contracts on the books. Safety Eddie Jackson has the biggest cap hit at $17.09 million, but he doesn’t feel like someone who could be on the chopping block. He’s coming off a bounce back season, where he led the Bears with four interceptions before missing the final six games due to injury.

Not to mention, Chicago is in an excellent place in terms of cap space, where they’re expected to have $98.6 million, according to Spotrac. That’s the most in the NFL (by a wide margin).

But there are some veterans who could be cap casualties heading into the offseason, especially if Poles can find upgrades at their respective positions while saving some money along the way.

Here are some cut candidates for the Bears this offseason:

Bears 2022 EDGE review: Veterans take big step back

After a historic year rushing the quarterback in 2021, the Bears retooled their defensive ends and took a big step back.

The Chicago Bears wrapped the 2022 season with a 3-14 record, which culminated in a 10-game losing streak. But there’s still reasons to be optimistic about the future, including a boatload of salary cap space, the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft and the emergence of quarterback Justin Fields.

Here at Bears Wire, we’re going position by position through the 2022 Bears and grading every player. With the offense wrapped up, it’s time to shift to the defense, beginning with the defensive ends who couldn’t get home to the quarterback all season long.

Bears 2022 End of Year Awards: Picking MVP, Breakout Player of the Year and more

As we look to close the page on the 2022 season, our Bears Wire staff share their picks for MVP, Comeback Player of the Year and more.

The Chicago Bears wrapped their 2022 season with a 3-14 record, which culminated in a 10-game losing streak.

While Chicago finished with the worst record in the league, there are reasons to be optimistic about the future. Not only do they have the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft and around $118 million in salary cap space, but they have their quarterback in Justin Fields.

As we look to close the page on the 2022 season, our Bears Wire staff share their picks for our End of Year Awards, including MVP, Offense and Defensive Players of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, Breakout Player of the Year and Most Disappointing Player.

Eagles’ PFF grades: Best and worst performers from 25-20 win over Bears

Here are the Best and worst PFF grades from the Philadelphia Eagles’ 25-20 win over the Chicago Bears in Week 15

The Eagles moved to 13-1 on the season after surviving a tough Bears team on the road in Chicago on Sunday.

All is not well though, as quarterback Jalen Hurts suffered a shoulder strain, and could miss two weeks of the final three regular-season contests.

Philadelphia pass rushers battered Justin Fields all afternoon and its no shock that the two highest-grade players were edge rushers according to PFF.

Studs and duds from Eagles 25-20 win over Bears in Week 15

Here are the studs and duds from the Philadelphia Eagles’ 25-20 win over the Chicago Bears in Week 15 at Soldier Field

The Eagles (13-1) showed grit and toughness, outlasting the Bears (3-10) on a freezing cold day at the legendary Soldier Field.

Philadelphia’s defensive front sacked Bears quarterback Justin Fields six times on the day, while Jalen Hurts scored three rushing touchdowns to end any shot at a Chicago upset.

A.J. Brown had a career-high 181 yards on the afternoon and is now over 1,200 yards on the season, while DeVonta Smith sits under 100 yards away from his first 1,000-yard season as well.

Here are the studs and duds from Week 15.

5 stats that tell the story of Eagles’ 25-20 win over Bears in Week 15

5 stats that tell the story of Philadelphia Eagles’ 25-20 win over Chicago Bears in Week 15

The Eagles are 13-1 and eyeing a Christmas Eve matchup against the Cowboys in Dallas this coming Saturday at AT&T Stadium.

Philadelphia’s defensive front sacked Bears quarterback Justin Fields six times on the day, while Jalen Hurts scored three rushing touchdowns to end any shot at a Chicago upset.

A.J. Brown had a career-high 181 yards on the afternoon and is now over 1,200 yards on the season, while DeVonta Smith sits under 100 yards away from his first 1,000-yard season as well.

Here are five stats that tell the story of Philly’s win on Sunday.

Eagles unofficial depth chart ahead of Week 15 matchup vs. Bears

Here’s the Philadelphia Eagles updated unofficial depth chart ahead of the Week 15 matchup vs. the Chicago Bears on Sunday at Soldier Field

The Bears (3-10) will look to snap a six-game losing streak when they host the NFC-leading Eagles (12-1) Sunday at Soldier Field.

Philadelphia will look to take care of business with a showdown against the Cowboys on Christmas Eve looming for Week 16.

Chicago will counter with quarterback Justin Fields, who will look to emulate Jalen Hurts’ continued improvement with more snaps and game reps. Philadelphia made several rosters moves during the week, but none involved activating star tight end Dallas Goedert.

Here is the Birds’ unofficial depth chart with the team landing in Chicago.

Eagles elevate linebacker Christian Elliss and punter Brett Kern for matchup at Bears

The Philadelphia Eagles have elevated rugged linebacker Christian Elliss and veteran punter Brett Kern from the practice squad to the active roster for matchup at the Chicago Bears

The Eagles announced two practice squad elevations for Sunday’s game, promoting linebacker Christian Elliss and veteran punter Brett Kern.

The most important move was Dallas Goedert being held out another week as the team looks ahead to Christmas Eve at the Cowboys. Goedert will now have missed over a month since his injury, and Philadelphia will look to Jack Stoll and Grant Calcaterra against Chicago.

• Punter Brett Kern, the three-time Pro Bowl selection, will make his Eagles debut. Kern will also serve as the holder for kicker Jake Elliott.