Eagles wide receiver Alshon Jeffery may be spending his last days with the team.
On Monday, member of the NFL Network Ian Rapoport said the Eagles plan to release Jeffery early in the league year, which is March 17.
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Jeffery, a member of the Super Bowl LII champion team, signed a one-year contract with the Eagles in 2017, after spending the first five seasons of his career with the Chicago Bears. Later in the 2017 season, Jeffery signed a $ 27 million contract extension for four years. In the four seasons he spent with the Eagles, Jeffery managed 171 passes for 2,237 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Jeffery, who turns 31 this month, has suffered several injuries in the past two seasons. Jeffery had Lisfranc foot surgery in December 2019. The recovery forced him to be placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list at the start of the 2020 season.
Jeffery would eventually return to the 9th week team against the Giants. Jeffery played seven games in the 2020 season, ending with six receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown.
Jeffery’s expected release comes as the Eagles try to lower the salary cap. According to Over the Cap, the Eagles are $ 42 million above the salary cap. Jeffery’s launch will save the Eagles $ 11 million. The Eagles have already launched the wide receiver DeSean Jackson to alleviate their limit problems, saving almost $ 5 million in the process.
Jeffery’s release also means that the Eagles will continue to focus on their young wide receivers. Jeffery’s departure is the most recent move the team made in an attempt to remodel its reception body. The Eagles have Jalen Reagor, Travis Fulgham, JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Quez Watkins and John Hightower currently on the list. Another wide receiver who had significant time last season, Greg Ward, is an exclusive rights-free agent. With the six players, the average age of the Eagles wide receivers is 23.5, and they have a combined total of 181 career catches.
The Eagles could add another recipient to the draft, taking a player like LSU’s Ja’Maar Chase or Alabama’s DeVonta Smith with the sixth overall selection.
Although the recipients are young, hiring new Eagles coach Nick Sirianni is expected to help them continue to develop. Sirianni has coached wide receivers at the San Diego / Los Angeles Chargers for two seasons, working with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. Allen did a Pro Bowl in 2017 before Sirianni left to become the Colts’ offensive coordinator. The Eagles also retained Aaron Moorehead as the coach of the wide receiver, providing some continuity during changes to the coaching staff.
Having a young reception body can also allow them to grow up with quarterback Jalen Hurts. Hurts is currently scheduled as the team’s starting quarterback after Carson Wentz was negotiated with the Indianapolis Colts. The 22-year-old Hurts will take receivers to Texas to work on the routes sometime during the off-season. Hurts already has a good relationship with the recipient and the additional time will help to build more chemistry.
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