The new league year in the NFL began at 4 p.m. on March 9, and the Eagles have been pretty busy.
The Eagles' moves actually began the day before the start of free agency, when they signed a previously released veteran.
Now that there’s a little lull, here's a recap of all their moves, with a little analysis of each. We'll go in chronological order:
March 8 — Add CB Leodis McKelvin
Since McKelvin was cut by the Bills, he was free to be signed before the start of the league year. The Eagles did just that, inking him to a two-year deal worth $6.2 million, with $3 million guaranteed.
Basically, McKelvin's deal is a one-year deal with a team option for the second because he got a $500,000 signing bonus and his base salary of $2.5 million is guaranteed in 2016. In 2017, the Eagles will have to decide what to do with him early in the offseason; his $1.2 million base salary is guaranteed on the fifth day of the league year.
It's unclear how much McKelvin, 30, has left, but he knows Jim Schwartz's defense, and on a one-year deal this might not be a bad idea.
McKelvin was once a first-round pick, but he's never been to a Pro Bowl, so it's not very likely he'll come to Philly and become great. With the Eagles, he'll be asked to be a solid depth player, perhaps in the slot.
NFL
March 9 — Trades and three signings
The first day of free agency was busy.
First, the two trades were finalized. The Eagles shipped CB Byron Maxwell and LB Kiko Alonso to Miami to move from 13th to eighth in the first round of the draft.
This was a really good move by Howie Roseman. He not only got rid of Maxwell's contract but also moved into a position of power in the draft. I'm not sure, but I suspect he would have executed the Maxwell trade for less. Getting rid of Alonso, even with how bad he was in 2015, wasn't ideal because he's still young and inexpensive, but if that's what the Eagles had to do to pull off the move, then so be it.
The other trade makes sense too. Sure, the compensation to move up 13 spots in the fourth round of the draft isn't a ton in return for RB DeMarco Murray, but this move wasn't about the compensation. It was about getting rid of a high-priced player who clearly didn't want to be in Philadelphia. Murray might have a decent season in Tennessee, but the Eagles shouldn't miss him.
OK, that takes care of the players the Eagles shipped off. How about the players they acquired?
Well, we'll start out with what I think is the most significant. They signed offensive guard Brandon Brooks to a five-year, $40 million deal with $21 million guaranteed. Yeah, that's a lot of money, but Brooks has the potential to be a Pro Bowler and he fills what was the Eagles' biggest need. No, signing a right guard isn't sexy, but it's just a solid move for a very good player.
Next up is safety Rodney McLeod, whom the Eagles signed to a five-year, $35 million deal, with $17 million guaranteed. This is a big contract for a guy who went undrafted out of Virginia four years ago, but he played well for the Rams. He put up impressive numbers in St. Louis, but we'll have to see how he fits into Schwartz's system.
McLeod and Malcolm Jenkins might end up forming the best safety duo in the league, but the team has an awful lot of money tied up in the position and not in their corners, which is usually the more expensive position.
Speaking of corners, the Ron Brooks signing also became official on the first day of free agency. Brooks isn't a starter even though he wants to fight for a job. Still, he's a good special teams player and could be a fill-in if necessary. It's a three-year deal worth $5.55 million, but just $1.55 million guaranteed.
March 10 — Daniel and Bradham
We'll start with QB Chase Daniel, whose deal became official on the second day of the league year.
This is a move we all pretty much saw coming based on the history between Daniel and head coach Doug Pederson. Schwartz has gotten all his guys and Pederson got his in Daniel.
Yeah, Daniel's three-year, $21 million deal is pretty expensive, and it becomes much more expensive if he becomes the starter and plays well. But even if he is just a backup, $7 million per year for a backup is a lot of money. It's clear Pederson, a former backup himself, values the quarterback position enough to push hard to get Daniel to Philly. Daniel will be able to teach the rest of his teammates Pederson's offense, but it's also possible the Eagles could have allocated their money better.
Then, there's LB Nigel Bradham, who signed a two-year deal worth $7 million, which includes $4.5 million guaranteed. This could end up being one of the best moves for the Eagles this offseason.
While Bradham's deal went a little under the radar, he was very good under Schwartz in 2014 in Buffalo and is probably penciled into one of the starting linebacker spots in 2016. It seems like Jordan Hicks will be the starter in the middle and then Mychal Kendricks and Bradham can fill the two outside spots. Both have previously played SAM and WILL.
March 11 — Trade Sanchez, cut Bair
The Eagles got back a late-round conditional draft pick for QB Mark Sanchez from the Broncos — a little more Roseman magic.
After signing Daniel and re-signing Sam Bradford this offseason, it was clear the Eagles were parting ways with Sanchez and everyone knew it. Still, Roseman was able to get something back for him. The other big thing was that trading Sanchez instead of cutting him saved the eagles an additional $1 million in cap room ($4.5M instead of $3.5M).
Cutting Brandon Bair wasn't much of a surprise either. He was a Chip Kelly guy and is a 3-4 defensive end. Don't be surprised if you see him end up in San Francisco.
March 15 — Bring back Carroll
Cornerback Nolan Carroll is coming back on a one-year deal worth $2.3 million, with the potential to be worth up to $3 million. This move filled an immediate need after the team shipped Maxwell to Miami.
Carroll played pretty well as a starter last season in 11 games before a broken ankle ended his year early. There was interest from some other teams and he visited Dallas, but he decided to come back to the Eagles on a one-year deal. He'll be penciled in as a starter, along with second-year player Eric Rowe and McKelvin.
Just because Carroll is back, it doesn't mean the Eagles don't need corners. Remember, it's just a one-year deal and NFL teams can always use defensive backs.
March 16 — A new wideout
The Eagles brought in WR Chris Givens on a one-year deal worth $840,000, but just $180,000 is guaranteed.
Hey, Givens might not be any good, but the Eagles aren't spending much to find out. They can cut him at final cuts with no cap ramifications. But if they hit on Givens, and he is able to recapture some of the magic he had with Bradford as a rookie in 2012, this move could pay off. He could be the deep threat the Eagles have been lacking. This is a classic low-risk, high-reward move.
The Eagles still have some salary cap room to play with, but not much — after signing Carroll and Givens, they should be just under $12 million. They might not be done, but don't expect any major signings. The team still has to pay its rookies and wants to re-sign Fletcher Cox.
And then comes the draft. It never ends, does it? We're just over a month away.