With the rest of the sports world at a standstill as the coronavirus spreads across the country, the NFL is trucking right along.
While there was a thought the new league year would be pushed back, that isn’t happening.
NFL free agency basically begins tomorrow.
Free agency will officially begin as scheduled on March 18 at 4 p.m. and the legal tampering window will begin at noon on Monday. The NFL sent a memo to teams on Sunday evening to relay the information, according to a league source. (First reported by ESPN.) This news comes hours after we learned the new CBA passed by a tight margin.
By this time tomorrow, we’ll already be hearing major news about where NFL free agents will be landing for the upcoming season.
Some will view this decision as insensitive given the current climate in the United States because of COVID-19, but for many Americans the start of NFL free agency will be a welcome distraction in a world suddenly without sports. At least we’ll all have something to talk about. (And I’ll have something to write about.)
There will be some logistical hurdles because of the virus, of course. For instance, the Eagles closed Lincoln Financial Field and the NovaCare Complex beginning Friday as a precautionary measure. And this also means free agency will mostly happen via teleconferences. Free agent visits will be difficult this year and agreements might go through pending physicals that won’t be easy to administer.
Remember, the NFL already shut down top-30 visits for draft prospects and NFL attendance at pro days.
But, in any case, free agency is coming this week and the Eagles are expected to be bigger players this year than in the last couple. In recent, Howie Roseman has been up against it a little bit in terms of cap space. That isn’t an issue this year as they’re in the middle of the pack in terms of space:
There are several big-name targets likely on the Eagles’ wishlist and topping it seems to be Byron Jones, who will be the top cornerback on the market. Despite the Eagles’ previous failures to hit on free agent corners and their awful track record of signing former Cowboys, Jones is believed to be their top guy. That will require a splash and a pretty large contract.
There are, of course, some other names to keep an eye on. Receiver Breshad Perriman makes some sense, as does linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski.
NFL
And then there’s the list of Eagles who will become free agents at 4 p.m. on March 18. Among them are Nelson Agholor, Rodney McLeod, Jason Peters, Kamu Grugier-Hill, Jordan Howard, Tim Jernigan, Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby. Last week, Reuben Frank tried to guess where all these guys will end up and for how much.
The Eagles will also have a decision to make on Malcolm Jenkins. To prevent him from becoming a free agent, the Eagles have to pick up his option for the 2020 season before the start of the new league year.
Click here to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.