Alshon Jeffery's last two seasons have ended in pain, but he doesn't want out of Philadelphia.
At least that's what Jeffery's agent said with a tweet Friday:
The tweet came as a response to a piece from The Athletic's Connor Hughes, which mulled receiving options for the Jets in the event Robby Anderson leaves via free agency and listed Jeffery as a candidate. Sandwiched between a bunch of helpful information was one key line: "The Eagles are looking to move Jeffery, league sources confirmed to The Athletic. And Jeffery would welcome the change of scenery."
Jeffery's magical 2017 season, which included 57 catches, 789 yards, nine touchdowns and a Super Bowl triumph, wasn't an anomaly. He followed the next campaign with a 65-catch, 843-yard, six-touchdown outing in 2018. But that campaign ended in heartbreak, when a pass intended for Jeffery late in a one-score playoff contest in New Orleans went through the receiver's hands and resulted in an interception.
His 2019 campaign was even more trying, as he was limited to 10 games and finished the season on injured reserve with a Lisfranc injury. That early end came only after weeks of frustration with the Eagles' offense, which was disjointed and unproductive for much of 2019.
Even if Jeffery's agent makes it clear the receiver likes being in Philadelphia, the Eagles have plenty of reason to consider moving on from Jeffery starting with the Lisfranc injury, which has proven to be problematic for other players and puts the receiver on track to return to the field in September -- the start of the season. Jeffery is also 30 years old and accounts for a hefty chunk of Philadelphia's cap space: $15.6 million.
Moving on wouldn't be so easy, though. Jeffery's dead cap number is astronomical at $26.1 million, meaning it's going to take some financial gymnastics to make a deal work. Thanks in part to a restructure (which inflated Jeffery's 2020 cap numbers), Jeffery is still in line to make over $11 million in 2020, which helps the case for him to stay from his perspective, but not from the Eagles' point of view.
There's also the lingering uncertainty associated with a potential new collective bargaining agreement, which could change cap rules and render the last paragraph irrelevant. But for now, those are the financial circumstances under which Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is operating.
Making a move for Jeffery as he continues on his path back from the Lisfranc injury is a risk, with interested teams likely requiring the Eagles to take on a good portion of the money due to the receiver. A move would likely be more of a dump for the Eagles than an exchange of assets, and with Philadelphia's receiving corps already in need of help, sending a veteran target out for little in return wouldn't look great.
So for now, all is well for Jeffery and the Eagles. His agent said so. We'll see if that's the case later this spring.
