Just how close was the bidding war between the Eagles and other teams to sign DeMarco Murray?
Apparently not very.
According to the Florida Times-Union's Ryan O'Halloran (via ProFootballTalk.com), the Eagles significantly outbid the Jaguars for Murray's services.
Jacksonville emerged as an early front-runner to sign Murray but GM David Caldwell said the Eagles' offer exceeded the Jaguars' by "a large amount," adding that it was more than $1 million to $2 million per year.
"If we were his first choice, we would have made it happen," Caldwell said.
Former Eagles running back LeSean McCoy called the Murray signing a "panic move." The Eagles traded McCoy to the Bills for linebacker Kiko Alonso several days prior to adding Murray. However, the decision to jettison McCoy and sign Murray may have been motivated by non-financial factors (see story).
Regardless of the final bidding, the Eagles have their man, albeit at a high price tag.