SALARY CAP WOES: 2021
Philadelphia Eagles’ general manager, Howie Roseman, doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to draft picks, but what he does have is the answer to fix the salary cap issues.
Marked as an “expert” in the field, he tends to extend big-money contracts at a lower salary cap hit by pushing the money into future years when the cap is expected to be higher. This plan may have pulled Roseman out of the woods in the past, but the salary cap for 2021 will not be higher than last year. In fact, it will be $18 million lower — the first time the salary cap has decreased since 2011 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Salary Cap Table (Updated: April 20, 2021)
| Player | Base Salary | Prorated Bonus | Roster Bonus | Game Bonus | Workout Bonus | Other Bonus | Guaranteed Salary | Cap # | Dead Money | Cap Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fletcher Cox | $15,000,000 | $7,879,939 | $1,000,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | $23,879,939 | $21,034,757 | $28,45,182 |
| Brandon Graham | $13,000,000 | $4,928,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | $17,928,000 | $17,212,000 | $716,000 |
| Lane Johnson | $9,565,000 | $8,133,498 | 0 | 0 | $150,000 | 0 | $9,565,000 | $17,848,498 | $39,002,494 | -$21,153,996 |
| Darius Slay | $12,000,000 | $3,250,000 | 0 | 0 | $500,000 | 0 | $12,000,000 | $15,750,000 | $21,750,000 | -$6,000,000 |
| Javon Hargrave | $12,750,000 | $2,450,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | $12,750,000 | $15,200,000 | $22,550,000 | -$7,350,000 |
| Brandon Brooks | $10,400,000 | $4,054,235 | 0 | 0 | $100,000 | 0 | $10,400,000 | $14,554,235 | $22,650,707 | -$8,096,472 |
| Zach Ertz | $8,250,000 | $4,221,500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | $12,471,500 | $7,769,500 | $4,702,000 |
| Derek Barnett | $10,051,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | $10,051,000 | 0 | $10,051,000 |
| Jason Kelce | $5,500,000 | $2,914,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | $8,414,000 | $10,142,000 | -$1,728,000 |
| Alshon Jeffery | 2000000 | 5590735 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7590735 | 11026441 | -3435706 |
| Malik Jackson | 2000000 | 3611000 | 1000000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5611000 | 12644000 | -7033000 |
| Isaac Seumalo | 4000000 | 1416000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5416000 | 4864000 | 552000 |
| Rodney McLeod | 3750000 | 600000 | 0 | 750000 | 100000 | 0 | 3750000 | 5059375 | 6150000 | -1090625 |
| Marquise Goodwin | 3950000 | 0 | 0 | 500000 | 50000 | 0 | 0 | 4281250 | 0 | 4281250 |
| Andre Dillard | 1619692 | 1754384 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1619692 | 3374076 | 7310498 | -3936422 |
| Jake Elliott | 2500000 | 774000 | 0 | 0 | 50000 | 0 | 2500000 | 3324000 | 5596000 | -2272000 |
| Jalen Reagor | 1213213 | 1802850 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1213213 | 3016063 | 10857828 | -7841765 |
| Avonte Maddox | 2183000 | 156478 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2339478 | 156478 | 2183000 |
| Dallas Goedert | 1246947 | 542597 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1789544 | 542597 | 1246947 |
| Miles Sanders | 982294 | 479587 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1461881 | 959174 | 502707 |
| Jalen Hurts | 883872 | 485486 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 883872 | 1369358 | 2340330 | -970972 |
| J.J. Arcega-Whiteside | 945112 | 405222 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1350334 | 810444 | 539890 |
| Rick Lovato | 990000 | 187500 | 0 | 0 | 50000 | 0 | 0 | 1227500 | 562500 | 665000 |
| Josh Sweat | 920000 | 149398 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1069398 | 149398 | 920000 |
| Davion Taylor | 814518 | 208073 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1022591 | 624219 | 398372 |
| K'Von Wallace | 780000 | 176528 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 956528 | 529584 | 426944 |
| Matt Pryor | 920000 | 33196 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 953196 | 33196 | 920000 |
| Genard Avery | 920000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 920000 | 0 | 920000 |
| Craig James | 920000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 920000 | 0 | 920000 |
| Treyvon Hester | 920000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 920000 | 0 | 920000 |
| Jack Driscoll | 780000 | 123600 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 903600 | 370800 | 532800 |
| Jordan Mailata | 850000 | 22348 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 872348 | 22348 | 850000 |
| John Hightower | 780000 | 75013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 855013 | 225039 | 629974 |
| T.J. Edwards | 850000 | 4168 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 854168 | 4168 | 850000 |
| Nate Herbig | 850000 | 4168 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 854168 | 4168 | 850000 |
| T.Y. McGill | 990000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 850000 | 0 | 850000 |
| Kevon Seymour | 850000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 850000 | 0 | 850000 |
| Iosua Opeta | 850000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 850000 | 0 | 850000 |
| Caleb Wilson | 850000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 850000 | 0 | 850000 |
| Travis Fulgham | 850000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 850000 | 0 | 850000 |
| Ross Pierschbacher | 850000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 850000 | 0 | 850000 |
| Brett Toth | 850000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 850000 | 0 | 850000 |
| Jason Croom | 850000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 850000 | 0 | 850000 |
| Blake Countess | 990000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 850000 | 0 | 850000 |
| Marcus Epps | 850000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 850000 | 0 | 850000 |
| Shakial Taylor | 850000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 850000 | 0 | 850000 |
| Shaun Bradley | 780000 | 42855 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 822855 | 128565 | 694290 |
| Quez Watkins | 780000 | 42415 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 822415 | 127245 | 695170 |
| Raequan Williams | 780000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25000 | 0 | 0 | 805000 | 0 | 805000 |
| Elijah Riley | 780000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 780000 | 0 | 780000 |
| Joe Ostman | 780000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 780000 | 0 | 780000 |
| ______________________ | Top 51 Cutoff | ______________________ | ______________________ | ______________________ | ______________________ | ______________________ | ______________________ | ______________________ | ______________________ | ______________________ |
| Jameson Houston | 780000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 780000 | 0 | 780000 |
| Deontay Burnett | 780000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 780000 | 0 | 780000 |
| Grayland Arnold | 780000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 780000 | 0 | 780000 |
| Jason Huntley | 780000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 780000 | 0 | 780000 |
| Rashad Smith | 780000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 780000 | 0 | 780000 |
| Michael Jacquet | 780000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 780000 | 0 | 780000 |
| Joe Bachie | 780000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 780000 | 0 | 780000 |
| Hakeem Butler | 780000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 780000 | 0 | 780000 |
| Luke Juriga | 780000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 780000 | 0 | 780000 |
| Arryn Siposs | 660000 | 8333 | 0 | 0 | 15000 | 0 | 0 | 683333 | 25000 | 658333 |
| Tyree Jackson | 660000 | 12600 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 672600 | 25200 | 647400 |
| Matt Leo | 660000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 660000 | 0 | 660000 |
| Lavert Hill | 660000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 660000 | 0 | 660000 |
| Khalil Tate | 660000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 660000 | 0 | 660000 |
| Elijah Holyfield | 660000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 660000 | 0 | 660000 |
| ______________________ | ______________________ | ______________________ | ______________________ | ____DEAD MONEY____ | ______________________ | ______________________ | ______________________ | ______________________ | ______________________ | ______________________ |
| Name | Cap Number | |||||||||
| Carson Wentz | 33820608 | |||||||||
| DeSean Jackson | 5802000 | |||||||||
| Shareef Miller | 244196 | |||||||||
| Prince Tega Wanogho | 112254 | |||||||||
| TOTAL | 40162397 |
The $182.5 million 2021 salary cap + the $24.5 million in cap space from the 2020 season that the Eagles can rollover results in a projected salary cap of $207 million for Philadelphia.
While it seems like an obscene amount of money to work with, the Eagles’ top-51 players (at the start of 2021) had salaries equating to $248 million. Philadelphia was $41 million over the salary cap — the second-highest behind the New Orleans Saints.
The solution now is to market Philadelphia as a rebuild, focusing on substantial cuts before the start of the new league year on March 17.
THE ‘REBUILD’ TIMELINE
Original 2021 Salary Cap: $175 million
January 4, 2021: The Philadelphia Eagles restructure contracts for WR Alshon Jeffery and DT Malik Jackson. Both players will likely be cut with a post-June 1 designations.
Salary Cap Increased: $180 million
February 18, 2021: Franchise quarterback Carson Wentz was traded to the Indianapolis Colts. The trade does nothing to help the Eagles’ 2021 salary cap issues. Instead, the Eagles take a $33.8 million dead-cap hit — the largest in NFL history.
February 19, 2021: The Philadelphia Eagles announce WR DeSean Jackson’s release, saving $4.8 million in cap space. However, they incur $5.8 million in dead money.
March 1, 2021: The Eagles tender contracts for ERFAs Boston Scott, Alex Singleton, and Greg Ward. This will aid in salary cap issues, as they are only allowed to negotiate with the Eagles.
March 3, 2021: Brandon Graham is working on a restructured contract with the Eagles. He is set to make $18 million this year, however, the restructure will spread the money out between the next two years.
March 4, 2021: The Eagles did not place a tender on punter Cameron Johnston. He will now become an unrestricted free agent.
March 5, 2021: Darius Slay’s contract was restructured, saving the team $9.14 million in cap space. Center Jason Kelce restructures contract. The Eagles are also working on a contract restructure for Lane Johnson. This remains to be determined.
March 9, 2021: Veterans Treyvon Hester and Blake Countess are released from the team. Neither affect the salary cap situation, as both players were on minimum contracts with no guaranteed money.
Salary Cap Increased Further: $182.5 million
March 10, 2021: The Eagles restructure left guard Isaac Seumalo’s contract, freeing up 2.4 million in cap space.
March 11, 2021: Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave has restructured his contract, saving the Eagles $9.4 million.
March 12, 2021: Rumors regarding the trade of Brandon Brooks prove to be false. The Eagles have restructured his contract. This move will save the team $7 million in cap space.
March 15, 2021: The Eagles restructure Jake Elliott’s contract, saving $1.1 million in cap space. The team is also working on a contract extension for Brandon Graham which could free up around $9 million.
March 16, 2021: Wide receiver Marquise Goodwin reverts back to 49ers per terms of his 2020 trade. This will save $4.2 million in cap space.
March 17, 2021: Rodney McLeod’s contract was restructured adding a total of $2 million to cap space savings. The Eagles also release Alshon Jeffery and Malik Jackson with post-June 1 designations. This will add $4 million in savings.
The Philadelphia Eagles are no longer in salary cap debt
March 23, 2021: Wide receiver Deontay Burnett is released, saving the Eagles $780,000 in cap space.