The Philadelphia Eagles extended Lane Johnson’s contract for an extra year, locking up the best right tackle in football through 2026. The deal gave Johnson a total of $33m in new money on the deal, but in the process, it also opened up enough cap space to allow the Eagles to make another big move this year. The question is, will they?
According to Mike Garafolo, Johnson’s new contract opened up $9.4m in cap space for 2023.
The full contract details are not yet known outside of the cap space that has been freed up for this year, but there was uncertainty about his future that this deal clears up. Last year he stated that he only wanted to play for a couple more seasons, but I can’t imagine the Eagles made this deal without some assurances from Johnson that he’d play beyond that.
Johnson will be 33 years old this year, meaning he’ll be 36 in the final year of this deal, but tackles can still play at elite levels into their late 30s. Johnson earned 1st Team All Pro in 2022 for the second time in his career along with his fourth Pro Bowl. He’s still very, very good.
Even before the move, the Eagles had just under $13m in cap space, according to OverTheCap. However, with the Johnson restructure, the Eagles now have roughly $22.2m in cap space. Based on the Eagles’ current draft picks, assuming no trades, the Eagles will need a little over $10m in cap space to sign their entire rookie class. That would still leave $12m in space for the Eagles to make another move this off-season.
A potential Jalen Hurts extension is not a factor here – at least for 2023 – because any extension shouldn’t impact the cap the Eagles cap this year – that will kick in next year. However, it could affect the Eagles’ thinking here if Howie Roseman wants to kick some of that carryover space to next year.
The Eagles still have needs that could be filled with some of that space. They’ve done a good job at patching holes with a few low-risk, high-reward deals so far:
None of these five players are guaranteed to be starters in week one. Heck, none are guaranteed to even be on the final 53-man roster – the guaranteed money in each deal is low enough.
There are some free agents left on the market that could make sense for the Eagles if Howie wants to use that cap space. Another pass rusher certainly would help. Someone like Yannick Ngakoue is still available but might still be out of reach. Assuming his health checks out, someone like Bud Dupree could be worth a look as another edge rusher. Leonard Floyd is someone that is very interesting, given he played for the Bears while Sean Desai was on staff.
Defensive tackle is a more pressing need. Matt Ioannidis is still out there, but the market for solid, veteran defensive tackles is not necessarily a buyer’s market. Fletcher Cox got $10m from the Eagles, and that was seen as a team-friendly deal.
Despite two signings at safety, there are still some good players left who would be upgrades over the current roster options and the two signings the Eagles already made. John Johnson, Adrian Amos, and Taylor Rapp are all still available, and given the way the safety market developed, none of them will break the bank.
Linebacker Bobby Wagner is one signing that could make a lot of sense – and the Eagles have the money for it. The Eagles signed Morrow earlier this week, but if the season started today, their starters would be Morrow and Nakobe Dean. Someone like Wagner would not only be an upgrade to the unit; he’d add a veteran presence to a defense that’s lost five starters. Some have connected the Eagles and Wagner over the last couple of weeks, but it’s been more conjecture based on the potential fit.
Additional Options in the Draft As Well
As for Johnson, the Eagles now have the best right tackle in the NFL locked in through the end of his career. With some more certainty around Johnson’s future, the Eagles’ need at tackle in the 2023 draft isn’t as pressing as it maybe was before.
The Eagles reportedly hosted Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr for a pre-draft visit. Johnson is one of the best tackles in the NFL Draft. He was definitely an option at #10 if the Eagles stand pat and trade down. He still could be as well if he’s still available, but tackle as a whole isn’t as big of a need – especially with 12 projected draft picks in the 2024 draft.
Howie has given himself some options, not just with the Johnson extension but with his moves on the margins as we head into the second phase of free agency and prepare for the Draft next month. What he does with them, only he knows right now.
