*Check out the full 2024 offseason guide for insight on other coaching and roster moves for the Eagles.*
When we look at the free agent candidates, draft class and overall roster construction, we can’t ignore what the 2025 cap space situation is looking like for the Eagles.
While the Eagles will have over $40M in cap space this offseason once Kevin Byard is cut, next season isn’t looking as great. The unfortunate part is that the Eagles only contract they would be able to restructure next offseason to open up more space is A.J. Brown’s (freeing up roughly $11M).
DEAD CAP CONCERNS
Things will surely change, as the Eagles have several cut candidates for this season and next. But based on the way Howie Roseman structures contracts, the Eagles are looking at a lot of dead cap charges in 2025. That dead cap is likely to influence not only who is cut (or traded), but when.
Jason Kelce, Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox could all potentially be gone from the team this season. If they don’t return to the Eagles in 2024, their combined dead cap hits will be quite large. Kelce ($13.4M), Fletch ($10.1M) and BG ($6.8M) would combine for a dead cap hit of $30.3M.
On top of that, if Josh Sweat and/or Haason Reddick play out their deals without signing extensions to return to the Eagles in 2025, they would combine for a dead cap hit of $24.4M (Sweat $9.7M; Reddick $14.7M).
Let’s keep going. If Maddox plays out his deal, he’ll have a dead cap hit of $5.2M. Combined, those six players could have dead cap hits of just under $60M. That’s a lot of money. It’s not like having a large dead cap hit for one player; they would have to replace all six of those guys somehow.
POST-JUNE 1ST CUTS
You’re going to hear a lot of Eagles reporters and content creators talking about how the Eagles can free up cap space this offseason by cutting players with a June 1st designation. The thing is, the Eagles don’t need cap space for 2024, especially with the way Howie structures contracts (Reddick 2022 cap hit $3.8M for example). Cutting players with a 6/1 designation only frees up cap space in 2024, while the team still has to carry a much larger dead cap hit in 2025.
Keep this in mind when thinking about cut candidates. Avonte Maddox would save the Eagles $2M in 2024 cap space if cut BEFORE 6/1. He would save the Eagles $7.1M in 2024 cap if cut AFTER 6/1, but he would still carry a dead cap hit of $5.2M in 2025. Contrary to popular belief, post 6/1 cuts don’t help the team much since they don’t realize that extra cap space until after 6/1. The big-time free agents will be signed long before then.
Therefore, considering the Eagles 2025 dead cap potential, it would make much more sense to cut Maddox BEFORE 6/1.
This is also why I think there is a good chance that James Bradberry ends up on the roster in 2024. A post 6/1 cut would leave the Eagles with another big dead cap hit in 2025 ($12.5M).
If the Eagles kept Bradberry on the roster in 2024 and cut him with a post 6/1 designation in 2025, they would free up $4.7M in 2025 (instead of incurring a $12.5M dead cap hit) and then have a $9M dead cap hit in 2026. That’s a swing of $17.2M! As things stand now, the Eagles likely won’t have nearly as much dead cap charges to deal with in 2026.
There are still several factors at play, including the potential to bring back Fletch and/or BG. If they come back, their dead cap hits would shift to 2026 instead of 2025. If Kelce doesn’t retire that delays his dead cap hit as well. If one of Sweat or Reddick are re-signed, that also lightens their 2025 cap hits.
If some of those guys come back and delay their dead cap hits until 2026, then we’ll probably see Bradberry cut this offseason.
ROLLOVER
The Eagles could rollover any unused cap space in 2024 to help with the 2025 cap hits, but that requires the Eagles to have unused cap space in 2024. The Eagles typically put all of their chips (or most of them) into the table each season. Since this is a team that should be contending for deep playoff runs, I don’t think we’ll see the organization holding on to much cap space anytime soon.
And could you imagine the fanbase if we end the season with $20M+ in cap space? They’d probably be wondering why we’re not going all in with a team that has a Super Bowl window.
Howie Roseman has a lot of decisions to make to rebuild this roster in 2024. But that can’t be done without factoring in the 2025 cap situation.
