The Philadelphia Eagles solved one of their biggest offseason dilemmas when they came to an agreement with tight end Dallas Goedert on a reworked contract on Wednesday morning.
Goedert entered the offseason with uncertainty and NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that the Eagles listened to trade offers before coming to an agreement on a new deal. John Barchard of Watching the Birds reported that the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos were interested in swinging a deal. But Goedert told the Eagles he wanted to stay and worked out a revised deal that brought his $14 million in cash down to $10 million and gives him a chance to earn $1 million through incentives, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.
It’s a saga that has had many twists and turns, but has Eagles fans wondering what’s next. Goedert’s role in the Eagles’ offense isn’t changing as they typically use one tight end, and it puts a pair of new arrivals on thin ice as the team prepares for the bulk of their offseason program.
Eagles Free Agent Additions to Battle for Roster Spot After Dallas Goedert Contract News
The Eagles were preparing for a potential life without Goedert by signing Kylen Granson and Harrison Bryant in free agency. But with Goedert back in the fold, the two arrivals will likely be battling for one spot, creating an intriguing position battle in the early stages of the offseason.
Granson came over after spending four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and had modest production in Shane Steichen’s offense. Although he only caught 14 passes for 182 scoreless yards last season, he made his biggest improvement in the run blocking grade, improving his Pro Football Focus grade from 48.2 in 2023 to 65.9 last season.
The Eagles were able to sign Granson to a one-year, $1.75 million contract in free agency. But he was brought in as competition when Bryant signed in March.
A fourth-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in the 2020 draft, Bryant had a solid start to his career, catching 76 passes for 710 yards and seven touchdowns. But his production clumped to 13 catches for 81 yards and three touchdowns with Cleveland in 2023 and just nine catches for 86 yards in his lone season with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Relying on either player to replace Goedert was a bold move as the South Dakota State product has caught 349 passes for 4,085 yards and 24 touchdowns over seven seasons in Philadelphia. But the bar to clear had become lower as Goedert struggled with injuries and had his lowest reception (42) and yardage (496) totals since his rookie season last year.
Maybe the Eagles thought that Grant Calcaterra could hold down the primary role with Granson and Bryant holding down the depth spots if Goedert left. But with Goedert returning, it puts both signees in the spotlight with one possibly looking for a new job by the start of next season.