Getty Philadelphia Eagles WR Alshon Jeffery
Take this rumor with a grain of salt. Actually, take it with a spoonful of sugar. Alshon Jeffery is reportedly in the mix on a potential Eagles trade to land Jadeveon Clowney.
The source for this latest rumor is not a very familiar outlet, something called Pro Football Network. They have less than 5,000 followers on Twitter. But they posted a message saying “Keep an eye on guys like Kenny Stills and Alshon Jeffery.” A potential Jeffery for Clowney might not be as outrageous as it sounds.
The Eagles have $20 million in salary-cap space, according to OvertheCap, and Clowney is due about $16 million on his franchise tender tag. If the Eagles wanted to keep Clowney longterm — instead of as an expensive one-year rental player – then they need to clear space. Jeffery has a $15 million cap hit. So, yes, this strange swap is suddenly not so mind-blowing. It’s still an extreme longshot to happen.
Bob Grotz, a solid beat reporter with the Delaware County Times, proposed the following scenario. It kind of makes sense.
The Eagles, according to OverTheCap.com, have $20 million in salary cap space with which to work. They could broker a trade sending, say, wide receiver Alshon Jeffery ($15 million cap charge) and a corner such as Darby or an offensive lineman like Halapoulivaati Vaitai to Houston, bite the bullet in dead money ($7 million or so against the cap) and make it happen.
So, as Pro Football Network said, keep an eye on guys like Kenny Stills and Alshon Jeffery. The Texans seem intent on dealing Clowney before the regular season begins. Time is ticking away.
Follow the Heavy Philadelphia Eagles page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Jeffery Getting Ready for Eagles-Redskins
Alshon Jeffery has flown under the radar this entire offseason and preseason. He has barely talked to the media and when he has, Jeffery has kept a tight lid on his words. On the practice field, the veteran wide receiver has been equally quiet. He has hauled in a few red-zone touchdowns from Carson Wentz, but overall he has been far overshadowed by receivers like DeSean Jackson, J.J. Arcega Whiteside, Dallas Goedert and even Carlton Agudosi.
The most noise Jeffery has made in recent months was when he told everyone to stop talking about the Eagles as Super Bowl favorites. When he was asked if the Eagles have the most talented roster in the NFL, the response was to keep that chatter down. He wishes everyone would just shut up about it.
“Shhh, keep that quiet, don’t tell anybody,” Jeffery told 6abc. “We like being the underdogs. We’re hungry. We got some guys on this team that never won a Super Bowl. We got a lot to prove if we want another one.”
🤫 #Eagles Alshon Jeffery shushes someone when told Eagles have 1 of the BEST Rosters
“Shh! Keep that quiet, don’t tell anybody. We like being underdogs… We’re hungry, some guys on the team that have never won the Super Bowl. We have a lot to prove. We want another one”
In two seasons with the Eagles, Jeffery has caught 122 balls for 1,623 yards and 15 touchdowns with an impressive 13.4 yards per reception. Jeffery signed a four-year, $52 million contract extension in the middle of the 2017 season to keep him in Philadelphia through 2021. The deal included $1 million per season in potential incentives, plus $27 million in guaranteed money.
READ NEXT: Jalen Ramsey, Eric Berry Among NFL Players for Eagles to Target