Linebackers T.J. Edwards, Kyzir White Among Eagles to Have Contracts Voided
The first step of what will be a busy offseason for the Eagles and their many free agents came on Monday when the team voided the contracts of four key players: Javon Hargrave, James Bradberry, Kyzir White, and T.J. Edwards.
Joel Corry, a former sports agent and now a salary cap analyst for CBS Sports, first reported the news.
Corry indicated that the dead money involved for the four players breaks down this way:
- Hargrave: $11.95 million
- Bradberry: $4.97M
- White: $1.17M
- Edwards: $711,000
They are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents on the first day of the new league year, March 15.
The Eagles can still choose to re-sign one or more of them before then, but it doesn’t seem likely.
Here is a breakdown of each player, with a possible succession plan, starting with the linebackers.
T.J. EDWARDS AND KYZIR WHITE
Obviously, it’s not ideal to lose both of your starting second-level players who also happen to be your top tacklers.
Edwards made 158 tackles; White 110.
The belief was and still is that Edwards would be the one to return since the Eagles are the organization that gave him his chance as an undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin in 2019. Edwards steadily climbed the depth chart to become a full-time starter midway through last season.
He would be difficult to replace.
White is an Eagle fan dating back to his days growing up in the nearby Lehigh Valley and attending Emmaus High School. He would go to the Eagles’ training camp when he could during the days when the Eagles held their camps at Lehigh University.
He has said several times this season he would love to return.
Whether the Eagles bring one, both, or neither of them remains to be seen.
Possible succession plan: No matter what it is, losing both players would be challenging. Last year’s third-round pick, Nakobe Dean, is probably ticketed for one of those spots, but who the other player could be if neither returns is up in the air.
It could be a player in the draft or perhaps homegrown draft picks Shaun Bradley or Patrick Johnson could challenge to start.
JAVON HARGRAVE
The defensive tackle was one of the better free-agent signings by GM Howie Roseman in his tenure, and that’s saying something considering the number of free agents signings he has gotten right.
Hargrave came over from the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020, signing a three-year, $39M contract. He started 44 games after arriving in Philadelphia, including every game each of the past two seasons.
Hargrave set career-highs in sacks last year with 7.5 then this year he had 11. Overall, he made 23 sacks in three years while collecting 161 tackles, three fumbles recoveries, and two forced fumbles.
Possible succession plan: Last year’s first-round pick, Jordan Davis, will see a big increase in his role, but, if the Eagles also lose Fletcher Cox, which is expected, then the team will need more than just one replacement.
Milton Williams saw a slight reduction in his playing time in Year 2 but played well when he was on the field, doubling his sack production from two as a rookie to four in 2022.
Marlon Tuipulotu could also play a factor. The former sixth-round pick two years ago tore the meniscus in his knee and missed the final nine games after being put on injured reserve.
Then there’s the draft, where the team could target a DT to work into the rotation, or free agency, where Daron Payne from the Washington Commanders would be a nice addition, though a costly one.
JAMES BRADBERRY
The cornerback came out and said that he wants to be paid top-dollar and wants to play for a team with a roster that could threaten for a Super Bowl during the two or three years he is hoping to get on his next deal.
That may be a tough combo to find, but it’s likely Bradberry is gone, despite a season in which he tied for the third most passes-defended in the NFL with 17 while making three interceptions, including a pick-six in the season opener. He was named to the Pro Bowl and was a second-team AP All-Pro.
Possible succession plan: It would likely have to be the draft, though Roseman has done a good job of finding veterans at this spot, including trading for Ronald Darby in 2017 and Darius Slay in 2020 while signing Steven Nelson in 2021 then Bradberry in 2022.
Some names floating out there to be had in the draft include Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon, Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez, and Penn State’s Joey Porter.
Perhaps the Eagles even throw former fourth-round pick Zech McPhearson into the mix as he enters his third season and excelled on special teams this past season.
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Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglestoday.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
