The Eagles have elected to not place a contract tender on Super Bowl hero Corey Clement, effectively making the running back an unrestricted free agent.
Clement, as a three-year veteran, is a restricted free agent, so the Eagles could have retained his rights by tendering him at the lowest-level tender, which would have paid him a one-year, $2.217 million base salary, as projected by Over the Cap. Clement is the Eagles’ only restricted free agent.
Without a tender, Clement will hit the open market at 4 p.m. Wednesday as a free agent, able to negotiate a new deal with any team.
The chance remains he could return to the Eagles at a lower salary. The NFL minimum for players with three years of experience according to the newly passed CBA is $825,000, so there is plenty of middle ground there if the Eagles decide they want to bring Clement back.
How much value does he have on the open market?
Not a lot. But he remains an intriguing player.
NFL
Injuries have ravaged Clement’s last two seasons, but he had a historic performance in the Super Bowl as an undrafted rookie, with four catches for 100 yards, including a miracle touchdown from Nick Foles in the third quarter and a wild 55-yard catch and run late in the second quarter that set up the Philly Special.
Clement’s 100 yards in the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII win over the Patriots in Minneapolis three years ago are the most in NFL history by a rookie running back in a Super Bowl and fourth-most ever by any rookie.
Clement, originally an undrafted rookie from Glassboro and Wisconsin, finished his rookie regular season with 321 rushing yards and a 4.3 average and 10 catches for 123 yards.
But injuries limited him to 11 games in 2018 and just four last year. He averaged only 3.8 yards per carry in 2018 and didn’t have an offensive touch last year.
Clement is still only 25 and doesn’t turn 26 until November.
Since Clement’s Super Bowl, the Eagles have overhauled the running back position. Second-round pick Miles Sanders and former practice squadder Boston Scott are the two proven backs under contract. Elijah Holyfield, son of former heavyweight boxing champ Evander Holylfield, is also on the roster.
Jordan Howard, the Eagles’ lead back before he got hurt last year, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday.
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