Before the Eagles dived into tonight's 1st-round of the 2019 NFL Draft, they decided to bolster their defensive line, as they announced they have signed Tim Jernigan to a one-year deal.
Jernigan was cut from his original deal that would have gave him $11 Million in 2019, but with not a lot of apparent interest around the league, he has decided to return to Philadelphia on a short-term deal in hopes of having a great season and earning a big contract here or elsewhere in 2020.
It's interesting that the team made this signing today, as many people felt the team would address their defensive line needs in the first-round later tonight. This signing could give the Eagles enough trust in their defensive line that they can address the offense in the first-round. Or the team could draft Mississippi State DT Jeffery Simmons with their first-pick, who is expected to miss all of 2019 but projected to still be one of the top players from this draft class. Then after the 2019 the team can once again ditch Jernigan and let Simmons have the starting role next to Fletcher Cox.
