May 30, 2023
June 1 is a noteworthy date on the NFL calendar, generally speaking, as it typically triggers a number of roster moves around the NFL.
Prior to June 1, if a player is cut or traded, any and all dead money, usually in the form of bonus proration, accelerates into the current year, and counts toward the salary cap in the current year. If a player is cut or released after June 1, any bonus proration in future contract years won't count toward the cap in the form of dead money until the following year.
Are you still here? You haven't closed this article after that last paragraph? Thanks! Here's what it means for the Eagles this year.
The Eagles like to utilize June 1 releases, so it's worth knowing a little something about them if you're into salary cap minutiae. As always, OverTheCap does a great job of explaining them.
Last year, the Eagles picked up some extra cap space on June 1 after Brandon Brooks' retirement and the termination of Fletcher Cox's old contract. Brooks will count for $9,797,237 on the Eagles cap in 2023. Cox's old contract will count for $15,359,292.
This year, the Eagles did not release any players with a June 1 designation.
In 2021, the Atlanta Falcons traded Julio Jones to the Tennessee Titans shortly after June 1, because it meant that they could spread out his dead money over 2021 and 2022, instead of the full amount being applied to 2021. We'll see if the passing of the June 1 barrier spurs trade action around the league.
The Eagles don't have any obvious trade candidates, like they have in recent years in guys like Zach Ertz, Jalen Reagor, or Andre Dillard, but you can squint and make a case for Derek Barnett to be dealt after June 1. Barnett is currently no higher than fifth on the edge rusher totem pole behind Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham, and Nolan Smith. If the Eagles were to trade him pre-June 1, he'd count for $9,192,000 in dead money on the 2023 cap. After June 1, he'd count for $1,977,000 on the 2023 cap, and $7,215,000 in 2024.
In 2021, Barnett had eight penalties and 2.5 sacks. In 2022, he tore an ACL Week 1 against Detroit and his season was over. As such, he doesn't have much value. The one thing that might make Barnett appealing to another team is that he has a low base salary of $1,080,000. That would be his cap number on a new team, with no dead money if were to be released. He'd be a no-risk acquisition, at least financially. Maybe he'd make sense to some team light on edge depth for a Day 3 pick, or perhaps a player-for-player deal? My guess is that Barnett will simply be back in Eagles training camp this year with a chance to make the team, but a trade can't be ruled out.
One player on the outside who reportedly asked for a trade this offseason who makes some sense as a post-June 1 trade is Budda Baker. If the rebuilding Cardinals were to trade the 27-year-old Baker before June 1, he'd count for $7,550,000 on their cap in 2023. If traded post-June 1, he's count for $3,775,000 on their cap in 2023, and $3,775,000 in 2024. Baker has a base salary of $13,096,359 that any new team would take on, plus he'd presumably cost a high-ish pick, so I'm not sure how realistic that would be for the Eagles, but he would certainly make their defense better.
Another safety who could also make sense as a post-June 1 trade is the Titans' Kevin Byard, a playmaking safety who has picked off at least 4 passes in 7 of his NFL seasons, including a league-leading 8 in 2017. He was named First-Team All-Pro in 2017 and 2021. The Titans reportedly asked Byard to take a pay cut, to which Byard (probably rightfully) was like, "GTFOH." From old friend Turron Davenport of ESPN:
The Tennessee Titans approached Kevin Byard about taking a pay cut, but the Pro Bowl safety does not believe his play warrants a decrease in salary, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Friday.
Byard's plan has always been to play for one organization and ultimately retire as a Titan, but the two sides are at a crossroads, according to sources.
Byard also missed voluntary OTAs last week, a noteworthy development.
If the Titans were to trade Byard before June 1, he'd count for $13,632,000 on their cap in 2023. If traded post-June 1, he's count for $5,523,000 on their cap in 2023, and $8,109,000 in 2024. Like Baker, Byard has a high base salary in 2023 of $13,600,000 that any new team would take on, though he wouldn't cost as much as Baker in a trade, as he turns 30 in August.
It's possible — but unlikely — that the Eagles will make a post-June 1 type of move of any significance this year, but thank you for going on this journey with me.
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