January 12, 2016
Julio Cortez/AP
Don't be so sure the Eagles will make a strong play to bring back safety Walter Thurmond.
Once the Eagles get that whole pesky "Who's our next head coach" thing figured out, they'll begin to assess their roster. What players will work with what they want to accomplish and what players won't? Nine of those players are unrestricted free agents. Two are restricted free agents.
Let's take an early look at which of the 11 could be back:
• QB Sam Bradford: Bradford could command as much as $20 million per season on the open market, which will make for a difficult decision (for some) whether or not to try to retain him. If his price tag is anywhere close to that total, the Eagles would be crazy to pay him that amount, in my opinion. We'll have much more on Bradford soon.
• DE Vinny Curry: Curry's chances of being wanted back by the Eagles went up considerably when Chip Kelly was fired. The Eagles are almost certain to have a new defensive scheme in 2016, which could better suit Curry's skill set. Curry is the Eagles' best edge rusher, and he needs to see the field more. The Eagles will have competition in trying to bring him back.
• CB Nolan Carroll: At a minimum, Carroll proved he is an NFL starter last season. With Byron Maxwell locked in at one CB spot and Eric Rowe having performed well enough to believe he has a future as a starter in the NFL, it will make far more sense for Carroll to move on.
• DE Cedric Thornton: While Thornton has been a solid starter for the Eagles, the Birds are going to have to make some difficult choices on their defense. They already handed out lucrative contracts to Byron Maxwell, Connor Barwin, Brandon Graham, Mychal Kendricks, and Malcolm Jenkins. They'll soon also have to pay Fletcher Cox and Bennie Logan, who look more like mainstays along the defensive line than Thornton. There's a good chance some other team out there will be willing to pay more for Thornton.
• S Walter Thurmond: Thurmond seems to be a player the fan base largely thinks should return. I'm not so sure. The old regime valued Thurmond's ability to cover slot receivers. The new regime may value safeties who are more physical. Thurmond is not the latter. The guess here is that Thurmond moves on.
• OG Matt Tobin (RFA): Tobin is not an ideal starter, as we saw this season, but he at least can serve in a backup role. As a restricted free agent, the Eagles can bring him back for reasonable pay.
• C David Molk (RFA): Molk is an extremely undersized offensive lineman, so he will not be every coach's cup of tea. If the new regime decides he's worth bringing to camp, and I assume they will, they can do so at a low cost.
The remaining four unrestricted free agents (E.J. Biggers, Seyi Ajirotutu, Najee Goode, and Thad Lewis) will likely sit and wait on the free agent market until they can be signed at near veteran minimum salaries.
Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @JimmyKempski
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