Getty Eagles left guard Isaac Seumalo restructured his contract over the weekend. He signed a three-year deal back in 2019.
The Philadelphia Eagles have a wealth of riches along the offensive line. They are deep and talented at every position, specifically at guard where they may decide to let one very popular veteran walk. Isaac Seumalo is entering the final year of the three-year contract he inked in 2019.
Seumalo — a third-round pick in 2016 (79th overall) — is penciled in as the starting right guard on the tentative depth chart. That could change in a hurry. Seumalo is on the books for one more year at $5.65 million, but it’s non-guaranteed.
The Eagles could release the 28-year-old swing guard on July 1 and incur a minimal dead cap charge, whereas keeping him on the roster triggers an annual salary of $5.65 million. It’s an interesting conundrum for one of the most “underappreciated” members of Philly’s offensive line.
“That’s a guy who has been really underappreciated for a long time,” Jason Kelce said after Seumalo suffered a Lisfranc injury in 2021. “He does a lot for our room, for our unit. He’s a special player, a special person. He’s having a great year and I know he’ll bounce back and be a tremendous player again. But, yeah, it was hard to watch him get carted off the field.”
Here is the Kelce reaction to Seumalo, just heartbreaking. Prayers up … #Eagles #FlyEaglesFly
Kelce has a lot of pull within the Eagles’ organization, but how far would he stick his neck out for his teammate? Seumalo played in three games last season after going down on September 28 against Dallas. And he has only seen action in 12 out of a possible 33 games since 2020 due to injury. The team might have to make a calculated business decision on a locker-room favorite this summer.
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Chicago Bears Ready to Pounce on Seumalo?
If Seumalo were to be released prior to July 1, one team ready to scoop him up off the scrap heap would be the Chicago Bears. Windy City Gridiron’s Jacob Infante thinks Seumalo makes sense there for a variety of reasons: “good scheme fit, fits a major need, and he’s only 28.” Remember, Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham was in the Eagles’ front office for five years. He knows the talent possessed by the former Oregon State standout.
If the Eagles cut OG Isaac Seumalo to save money, he’s definitely a name I’m targeting for the #Bears.
He has the connection to Ian Cunningham, good scheme fit, fits a major need, and he’s only 28. He’s graded well from PFF for most of his career.
Seumalo’s injury history dates back to his college days when broke his foot in the 2013 Hawaii Bowl and missed the entire 2014 season. Still, scouts loved his versatility and he came out of college with starting center potential in the NFL.
“Seumalo proved that he was back from a foot injury that sidelined him for all of 2014 with the same foot quickness and technical talent that he had before his injury,” NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein wrote. “Seumalo can play anywhere on the interior, but his best position might be at center thanks to his core strength and overall anchor.”
Eagles Have Plenty of Options at Right Guard
If the Eagles do decide to move on from Seumalo, they have plenty of options to fill his spot. Heck, he’s not even guaranteed a starting spot. Landon Dickerson has the ability to play right guard or left guard, although the Eagles want to keep him on the left side thanks to his chemistry with Jordan Mailata. Jack Driscoll is the most obvious choice to take over at right guard; Driscoll was thriving at the position last season before suffering a high ankle sprain.
Keeping Isaac Seumalo on the roster doesn’t make the Eagles $5M better than without him. I don’t think he’ll be a starter, so it’s best for both parties to let him move on. Jack Driscoll at RG gives them the best unit in the NFL. He’s a better player at the position.
The Eagles also have Sua Opeta (18 games, 4 starts) and Jack Anderson (2 games, 1 start) as under-the-radar options at right guard. And don’t rule out rookie Cam Jurgens. Yes, he was drafted to be the center of the future, but the Eagles have talked about cross-training him and playing him at other spots.
Watch Jack Driscoll on this rep against Chase Young
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