Currently set to make roughly $18 million in 2021, it was only a matter of time before the Philadelphia Eagles decided to deal with Brandon Graham’s contract situation. There was some brief talk of the Philly legend potentially being traded, or even cut, but ultimately speaking it sounds like Howie Roseman will do what he normally does when it comes to aging players on fat contracts – kick the can down the road even further.
According to Derrick Gunn (who has a well documented strong relationship with BG), the Eagles have started discussing a contract restructure with the 2020 Pro Bowler:
I’m told eagles and Brandon Graham are working on restructuring his deal
— Derrick Gunn (@RealDGunn) March 3, 2021
When it comes to “restructures” in today’s NFL, something needs to be made very clear. They’re not “pay cuts.” When Gunn first dropped his tweet, fans were quick to applaud Graham for his selflessness and his commitment to the Eagles organization. While there’s something to be said about BG wanting to hang around for the impending rebuild, he’s definitely going to end up richer in this situation.
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Graham’s looming $18 million salary will be stretched out over the next 2-3 seasons, with even more money and bonuses being tacked on top. While a move like this definitely helps Roseman deal with his cap issues in the short term, it’s not something that should necessarily be viewed as “saving money” in the longterm.
With all that said, extending Graham for the next 2-3 seasons shouldn’t really be viewed as a bad thing either. He was arguably the Eagles best overall player last season, logging 8.0 sacks and two forced fumbles en route to his first career Pro Bowl.
It was a very strong year for Graham despite playing at 32 years of age. Considering his extended history of staying healthy and in shape, there’s reason to believe that he can continue to produce for the Philly defensive line into his mid-to-late 30s.
Additionally, Graham’s locker room presence is going to be much appreciated moving forward. The Eagles already traded one team captain this offseason (Carson Wentz), losing another one would definitely be less than ideal. Graham is one of the more vocal leaders on the team, and he’ll undoubtedly have a positive impact on any new rookies that are brought in over the next few seasons.
The Philadelphia Eagles want to keep BG around.
It’s also important to note that this won’t be the last cap-saving move that the Philadelphia Eagles front office makes this spring. Whether it’s more restructures or more roster cuts, the Eagles still have a long ways to go before they’re under the league’s salary cap.
Seeing what the final number comes out to in regards to Graham’s restructured 2021 salary will help give us a clearer picture as to what moves could be on the horizon.