Pay close attention. Things are going to move swiftly now. The 2024 NFL Scouting Combine nears. Free agency and the NFL Draft will follow, but the Philadelphia Eagles are already knee-deep in constructing next season’s roster.

As you’re well aware, decisions must be made, and many of them involve a few of the respected veterans. Fletcher Cox is mulling retirement. Jason Kelce has done the same for several offseasons. including this one. This time feels different though. He might actually call it a career. Fear not. He’ll have options once his playing days are done.

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Kelce and Cox sit in some rarified air. They’ll be back if they choose, but that luxury doesn’t extend to most of the other members on Philly’s roster.

Depth is needed. So is talent. Howie Roseman and the Birds will need to allocate resources to allow themselves some wiggle room to add key free agents and extend the guys they believe will be a part of this team’s future.

First things first. It’s time to make some decisions about a handful of deals that might potentially hold this team back. Here are three that come to mind without effort.

Kevin Byard, safety

We’ve mentioned Kevin Byard before. A $14,248,326 million cap hit will do that for you, but if Philly is feeling gutsy, they can save a boatload of cash by moving on. He only represents $711,000 in dead cap space.

Think of what Howie Roseman can do with another $14 million available. Heck, he can sign 14 tailbacks, but seriously, an aging Byard that’s past his prime doesn’t give this team much in terms of productivity.

Keep an eye on a few other veterans as well as we move through the offseason.

James Bradberry, cornerback

Well, James Bradberry sure fell apart in a hurry, didn’t he? Sadly, his regression runs congruently with a three-year, $38 million extension he signed on March 15th. That deal included a $7,985,000 signing bonus, $20,000,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $12,666,667. Ouch…

Philly didn’t dish out that type of coin because they thought the 2022 All-Pro would fall off a cliff. Well, we all know how that has worked out. He’s now scheduled to hit free agency in 2026.

There’s an ‘out’ worked into his deal that comes into play after next season. He’d then represent $12.5 million in dead cap space, but Philly may want to explore some other options for reworking this deal before then.

Might he be someone that Howie Roseman considers for a restructure?

Avonte Maddox, cornerback

They say availability is a skill. If that’s the case, Avonte Maddox hasn’t been very skillful. It isn’t a matter of ‘if’ he’ll be injured. It’s a matter of ‘when’ he’ll be injured and how long he’ll be out when that happens.

Maddox is in a contract season. He represents a $9,676,910 cap hit and $7,719,532 in dead cap space. That’s a lot of coin for a guy who, while talented, is unreliable.

The Birds have a lot of bodies at the cornerback position. That cap hit is expensive, but don’t be shocked if you hear about Philly potentially moving on.

Worth mentioning: Lane Johnson, right tackle

It may seem sacrilegious to believe anything related to Lane Johnson hinders the Eagles as an organization. He’s one of the best examples of Howie Roseman’s oft-criticized business strategy of ‘kicking the can down the road.’

His $16,142,000 cap hit doesn’t seem all too concerning. Actually, that feels like a discount for someone so talented, but anytime you see a $45,065,000 dead cap hit (2024), another $30,383,000 hit (2025), and three ‘dummy years baked in at the end, you have to admit it’s worth mentioning.

Lane will be around, but it will be interesting to see if Philly needs to work around his deal at some point.

Worth mentioning: Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox will return if they choose, but these guys are expensive.

It stands to reason that Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox will be around if that’s their desire. They are aging and very expensive though, and some have even asked if it’s time for Philly to abandon their emotional ties to both guys and move on. We disagree with that theory, but it is a discussion.

No one’s complaining about their pay structure. Both are team captains and still effective. Both are valuable to the team’s culture and locker room. Still, at the risk of sounding disrespectful, knowing two guys potentially represent a $24,478,000 total in dead cap money raises the antenna, even if those guys are Cox and Kelce.

We hope they return, but both are beginning to think about life after football and rightfully so.