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Safety is the one position everyone is harping on the Philadelphia Eagles to improve. They might. Jessie Bates III is in a contract dispute with the Cincinnati Bengals and could force his way out of town.
But trading for Bates would cost the Eagles money – remember, he would want a lucrative extension from his new team – and draft capital. Philadelphia might not be willing to meet the asking price on either. Instead, general manager Howie Roseman might decide to bolster his backfield by adding another running back.
According to Pro Football Network’s Mike Kaye, one name that “makes sense” for the Eagles is Devontae Booker.
His reasoning? The Eagles have only five running backs under contract: Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, Kenny Gainwell, Jason Huntley, and Kennedy Brooks. They could use the extra depth at the position. Kay wrote:
That is the smallest total in the league entering training camp. Most teams go to camp with six to eight running backs. A name that makes sense for the Eagles is former Denver Broncos and New York Giants running back Devontae Booker, who could play the Jordan Howard role in their backfield rotation. Howard is also still a free agent, but given his injury history, it’s understandable that the Eagles have played it coy with him.
Booker has been a productive rusher in the NFL, a guy capable of throwing his 5-foot-11, 219-pound frame around at the goal line. He racked up 593 yards on 145 carries and three total touchdowns last season for the New York Giants. The 30-year-old appeared to have plenty of gas left in the tank while making four starts in 16 games (519 offensive snaps). Yes, the Howard role would be an intriguing fit for Booker. He can also catch it out of the backfield.
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Cardinals Pay Kyler Murray $230.5 Million
The Arizona Cardinals held a press conference for Kyler Murray on July 22, one day after news leaked that he would be signing a five-year, $230.5 million extension. He’ll be under contract through 2028.
Murray is now the second-highest paid quarterback on a per-year basis at $46.1 million. Which got people in Philly thinking about Jalen Hurts who is entering the third year of his rookie deal. The Eagles will have to make a decision on the 23-year-old at the end of the 2022 season, or maybe in November or December if he balls out.
Hurts had been looking at somewhere in the $30 million range, or something similar to what the Las Vegas Raiders did with Derek Carr. There is a growing sense that Murray’s new deal has raised the price tag on Hurts. Those two players have very similar numbers over their first two NFL seasons.
Jordan Mailata Owns ‘Best Contract’ in NFL
Pro Football Focus ranked Jordan Mailata’s contract – four years and $64 million – as the best one in football. The new left tackle in Philadelphia was a revelation in his first full year as the starter: 87.4 overall grade, with an 83.3 pass-blocking grade and 87.8 run-blocking grade. Brad Spielberger called him a “true dancing bear with tremendous footwork for his size and lack of experience,” adding that Mailata had the “second-most Wins Above Replacement among all tackles in 2021.”
One more thing: Mailata can sing, like professional grade. He recently opened for Ne-Yo at the Dell Music Center in Strawberry Mansion. Listen to him belt out Stevie Wonder.
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