The 2024 NFL offseason is underway for Philadelphia, and after a 32-9 wild card loss to Tampa Bay, the focus will now shift to reshaping the roster to fit two new coordinators on both sides of the ball.
The 2024 cap is expected to exceed $240 million, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, and where things currently stand, Philadelphia is expected to have roughly $20,284,984 in cap space.
The Birds are set to have 20 pending free agents, and with another likely retool schedule on defense, the organization could conjure up a scheme for more flexibility.
Over The Cap recently looked at the top 100 players who could be cut or released due to the salary cap, and Philadelphia had four guys make the list.
According to Over the Cap’s potential transaction chart, the Eagles can easily create $35.4 million in cap space, and we’re looking at five players who could end up as salary cap casualties.
1
DE Josh Sweat Post June 1
Cap savings: $4,300,000
Depending on who you ask, Sweat is either a building block for the future or a player Philadelphia could potentially move on from for salary cap purposes.
Sweat finished his sixth NFL season with 6.5 sacks (second-best on the Eagles) and 43 tackles in 17 regular-season games.
Sweat saw his role increase even more in the Eagles’ defensive end rotation this season, as his 71 percent snap share increased over his 56 percent mark from last season.
Philadelphia GM Howie Roseman might have questions about extending Sweat after his sack totals dropped from the 11.0 he logged in 2022.
Sweat had 5.5 sacks through nine games but didn’t manage another until Week 18.
Sweat is entering a contract year with a base salary of just over $1 million and a cap hit of just over $9 million.
He’s set to count over $21 million against the 2025 salary cap, but has he reached his ceiling as a pass rusher?
Sweat also had 19 QB hits through 10 games and just four in the last seven games.
2
CB James Bradberry Post June 1 Cut
Cap savings: $0
Dead Cap Hit: $4,335,000
According to Over the Cap, cutting Bradberry outright would cost the Eagles $10.9 million in cap space while adding another $15.2 million in dead cap space.
Philadelphia’s pass defense dropped to 31st in the league in 2023, and new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio could choose to roll with the young guys at cornerback.
According to Pro Football Focus, after being named a second-team All-Pro in 2022, Bradberry allowed 56 receptions for 689 yards and nine touchdowns.
Philadelphia saves no money with this move, but it restarts the position.
3
CB Avonte Maddox Post June 1 Cut
Cap savings: $7,117,647
Dead Cap hit: $2,559,266
Maddox returned to the lineup to play the the last three games of the season after undergoing surgery on a torn pectoral muscle back in September.
Maddox is one of the top slot cornerbacks in the NFL, but he’s played only 13 games the last two years, and he’s missed 36 percent of the Eagles’ games since he was drafted in 2018.
In June, the NFL suspended Isiah Rodgers for violating the league’s gambling policy, and the Colts immediately waived him. Still, he’s Philadelphia’s 2024 security blanket at the slot cornerback position, and that’s why the Eagles can make this move.
According to Pro Football Focus, Rodgers was the 5th best overall cornerback and the NFL’s 6th best cornerback in 2022.
4
DE Haason Reddick Post June 1 Cut
Cap savings: $16,000,000
Dead cap hit: $5,877,000
Reddick finished 15th in the league with 11 sacks and made his second straight Pro Bowl.
He recorded double-digit sacks for the fourth consecutive season, leading his team in that category and tying for 15th in the NFL.
Had Nolan Smith showed that he was ready to be an elite pass rusher, then the idea would be to cut Reddick, saving the Eagles $11 million after dead money allotment.
Outside of the sacks, though, Reddick’s numbers were poor by his standards.
His 38 tackles were the second-lowest mark of his career, and he didn’t force or recovered a fumble after forcing five and recovering three last season. His snap share (74 percent) remained identical, indicating the drop-off wasn’t due to a lack of opportunities, but mismanagement from coaches.
Reddick was dropped back in coverage 15 times the last three games after dropping back just three times the first 15 games, and depending on how Vic Fangio views his role, Philadelphia could save $11 million after the dead cap hit by moving on and rolling with Nolan Smith.
5
DB Kevin Byard Post June 1 Cut
Cap hit: $14,417,088
Dead cap hit: $346,500
Byard was the 23rd highest graded safety in the NFL according to PFF, and finished the year with career highs in tackles (122) and solo tackles (80) in 16 regular-season games.
Byard began the year with the Titans before being traded to the Eagles.
Despite playing only 10 games for Philadelphia, Byard finished fourth on the team in tackles, recording 75 after the move.
Philadelphia could negotiate a restructure or reworked deal, but the $14 million cap hit is to high for a player that made no game changing plays during his stint. His one saving grace, is the Eagles may move on from Avonte Maddox, and if they move on from Byard, that’ll leave just two safeties on the looming 90 man roster.
