The Eagles’ 2021 salary cap prospect became much uglier.
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The NFL and NFLPA reached a landmark agreement Friday as the league and union decided on financial and security protocols for the upcoming season in response to the coronavirus pandemic. While the two sides agreed to keep the salary cap at $ 198.2 million for next season, the total for 2021 will have a floor of $ 175 million.
While there is room for the 2021 projection to grow, the salary cap is likely to still recede due to the inevitable loss of earnings this season.
That’s bad news for the Eagles, as the team had already projected a $ 50 million cap to exit, even before the deal, due to the annual expectation of a pay rise. Now, according to OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald, the Eagles are projected to face $ 71.53 million in salary cap debt. That projection is the worst in the league.
That means the Eagles will need to cut wages and restructure contracts at a noticeable rate next offseason only to hit the salary cap. The team will also need to spend as much of their current limit space as possible.
The Eagles are projected to have $ 22.67 million in compounding space for next season, according to OverTheCap. However, that total has not been updated with the restructuring of wide receiver Marquise Goodwin’s contract.
As NJ Advance Media first reported in April after the Eagles traded for Goodwin, the wide receiver agreed to cut his salary from $ 3.95 million to $ 1.35 million for this season. The restructuring also eliminated next year’s maximum fee of $ 7 million, which will save the Eagles some work in the offseason.
That said, even with Goodwin’s salary off the books in 2021, the Eagles face an unprecedented limit situation for the organization. While they’ll be able to top themselves off with some notable exits and modified deals, the Eagles probably won’t be players when the time for free agency comes next March.
The Eagles’ 2021 limit prospect won’t cause a mass exodus, but it will force the team to make the most of their young talent to advance. The Eagles are likely to split with some big names next offseason without the benefit of free agency to replace them.
The Eagles will need to put a great deal of emphasis on internal development rather than attracting outside talent next season. That’s why the Eagles have to make the most of their talented depth chart this season, while also developing their recent draft picks to become reliable contributors in no time.
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