The Philadelphia Eagles' first big move of the offseason has nothing to do with their quarterback quandary.
The team announced Thursday night that it reworked safety Rodney McLeod's contract to keep the 28-year-old defensive back in Philly in 2019. On Friday, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that McLeod and the team agreed to a reconstructed deal that will pay him a $3 million base salary for 2019 with an additional million if he plays all 16 games. Coming off knee surgery, McLeod was set to make $7.5 million this year on a deal through 2020, however the last year was cut off the contract and he's a free agent following next season.
"It's a very exciting time," McLeod said Thursday, per the team's website. "Honestly, Philly is where I want to be. I'm glad we were able to get things done and handled early on. I really get to focus more on rehab and getting back out there with the boys and getting back to making plays for the team this year."
McLeod added that he should be ready for the start of the 2019 campaign.
This isn't the first time Philly has tinkered with McLeod's contract. The Eagles cleared $2.4 million in cap space in 2017 by moving roughly $3.2 million of the safety's salary into bonus money, per Spotrac.
McLeod's restructured deal should help clear up Philly's complicated cap situation. The Eagles entered the 2019 offseason over $15 million over the cap, per OverTheCap.com. Many of their most important defensive players are impending free agents, like Brandon Graham, Ronald Darby and Jordan Hicks. The Eagles are also expected to recoup money currently owed to Super Bowl LII MVP Nick Foles, who will likely be playing elsewhere in 2019.
Philly also re-signed linebacker Paul Worrilow to a one-year deal for 2019 earlier this week. Like McLeod, Worrilow missed the 2018 season due to injury.
Given their cap constraints, expect Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia front office to continue to be one of the most active and creative players in roster management and free agency over the next two months.
