Eagles receive high praise from PFF on their recent free agency moves
Not everyone in Philadelphia is jumping with joy at the moment, mostly because the Eagles have lost several free agents this week. But rest assured, the gang over at Pro Football Focus is loving what Howie Roseman and Co. are doing.
After the moves made on Tuesday, PFF graded each transaction in terms of positional need and value. The Eagles made two major moves on the second day of the legal tampering period – re-signing CB James Bradberry and signing RB Rashaad Penny to a one-year deal.
First up is Penny – a PFF darling for the past few years. When healthy, the former Seahawks running back is one of the most explosive backs in the sport. Running behind this Eagles offensive line, Penny could have his most productive year to date. And PFF agrees.
PFF on why Penny to the Eagles is a great fit:
Rashaad Penny operating behind this Eagles offensive line is a perfect fit, with the former first-rounder set to feast on early downs as a strong downhill runner. Among running backs with at least 100 carries from 2021 to 2022, Penny’s 6.2 yards per carry and 4.4 yards after contact per attempt both lead the NFL, and his 0.23 missed tackles forced per carry ranks 11th. He may not be a three-down player, but this is a picture-perfect marriage.
PFF gave the Penny signing an A in both positional need/fit and value. At just $1.35M for 2023, Penny is a complete steal. His 6.2 yards per carry since 2021 is just absurd – especially running behind an average offensive line in Seattle.
Health is the big concern here. But there’s no doubt that if he remains healthy, Penny should have an excellent season in Philly.
DraftKings Sportsbook: Bet $5, Win $200 INSTANTLY
- Sign up for a new DraftKings account
- Make Your First Deposit
- Bet $5+ On Any Sport
- Get $200 In Free Bets Instantly
Next we have Bradberry – a guy most Eagles fans expected to walk in free agency. Even after receiving bigger offers from other teams around the league, Bradberry opted to stay in Philly on a three-year, $38M deal.
PFF’s reaction to the Bradberry re-signing:
Bradberry was a salary cap casualty of the New York Giants after the 2021 season and turned his one-year flier with the rival Philadelphia Eagles into a strong three-year deal after earning second-team All-Pro honors and an 80.2 coverage grade.
With Philadelphia reportedly granting cornerback Darius Slay and his camp the right to seek a trade — under the assumption that Slay is looking for an extension beyond the $17.5 million he’s owed in the final year of his contract in 2023 — this provides the Eagles with leverage and a solid backup plan in case they do ultimately trade Slay.
With Wednesday’s news of Darius Slay’s impending release, this signing makes even more sense. Bradberry was arguably better than Slay in 2022, he’s two years younger, and cheaper. Slay reportedly wants a three-year fully guaranteed contract and the team wasn’t willing to comply. Getting their other All-Pro corner to re-sign at $12.67 annually is more than an acceptable consolation prize.
There are still plenty of moves for the Eagles to make as free agency gets underway. Hopefully, re-signing CJ Gardner-Johnson is the next domino to fall.
