The Philadelphia Eagles are coming into 2016 after a disappointing season and with Chip Kelly gone, there could be some major changes depending on who is hired as head coach. Sam Bradford may return as a free agent, while players like DeMarco Murray, Jason Peters, Riley Cooper, Darren Sproles and Brent Celek could be potential options to get released this winter.
Bradford is heading into free agency after finishing out his rookie contract and with Kelly now fired, there is a chance Bradford could sign elsewhere. Teams like the Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers could be interested in Bradford and the Eagles likely will try to re-sign him. Spotrac projects that Bradford could sign a deal worth around $17 million per season and that could be a bit more than some teams want to spend on the quarterback.
Bradford proved this season that he can stay healthy while only missing two games this past season, but his previous knee injuries may give some teams pause in trying to sign the QB. Bradford finished the season with 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions while throwing for 3725 yards, but over his final seven starts, he threw for 10 TDs and just four interceptions. Bradford and Kirk Cousins likely will be the top free agent targets at QB this offseason.
The Eagles are still searching for a new head coach and depending on who the team brings in, the roster could look very different for next season. According to Adam Schefter at ESPN, Doug Pedersen and Ben McAdoo are the "frontrunners" for the job after the first round of interviews. Based on that, the Eagles clearly are looking for some offensive expertise, but there is a chance someone else could emerge from the group of candidates the team has interviewed.
Either way, the roster is going to change and some names that could be gone include Bradford, Jason Peters, Riley Cooper, Darren Sproles and Walter Thurmond. According to Paul Domowitch at Philly.com, Bradford has a good chance to end up staying with the team, while Thurmond likely will be allowed to leave as a free agent. Domowitch writes that some players with high cap numbers likely will be let go, including Peters and Cooper.
Domowitch writes that despite the struggles this season, DeMarco Murray should return for the Eagles, as he has an $8 million cap number and it would cost the team a bit to release him. Cooper did not have a productive season and with a $5.3 million cap hit coming, he is likely gone for next season. Sproles is another name that could be gone, as he will be over $4 million on the cap and is going to be 33 when the season starts.
