The Dallas-Fort Worth area has been miserable since the Eagles defeated the Cowboys to take over the NFC East in December, and spirits appear to be getting even worse there as there seems to be some conflict going on with some of the Cowboys' most important players. With just four weeks until free agency, the NFC East rival have still not come to contract agreements with Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, or Byron Jones. Over the past few weeks, it has been made clear that the team is prioritizing Prescott and Cooper over Jones, which means that it is likely Jones will be free to sign with any team that wants his services.
According to CBSSports.com, the Eagles and other NFC East teams will be in on Jones come March.
In the article published on Tuesday, CBSSports' Cody Benjamin and Patrik Walker revealed some new updates on Jones and how the Eagles appear to be interesting in bringing him to Philadelphia.
"It's entirely possible, if not likely, he lands with the rival Philadelphia Eagles. They won't be the only team after him, but among potential suitors, they would not mind outbidding others to fill a desperate need for long-term CB help. They've been fans of his makeup since the 2015 draft. They have more money to spend than in years past, entering free agency with a projected $42.3 million in 2020 cap space, and are expected to part ways with impending free agent CB Ronald Darby."
This article was written before it was reported that the Eagles will not pick up Nigel Bradham's option, and will create an additional $4.5 Million in cap space in the process. Money will certainly not be an issue if the Eagles want to reel in one of the most coveted potential free agents, although it might limit them from filling other roster holes by creating more depth via free agency. A move like this would mean Howie Roseman would really need to nail his 2020 draft selections so the team doesn't run into the same problems it had in both 2018 and 2019 with its lack of depth.
Since Jones will be highly sought after if he hits free agency, that means he'll command a contract filled with big guarantees and a high per-year cost. The article mentioned that Jones will likely become one of the highest-paid defensive backs in the league, if not THE highest-paid:
"Anything under $16 million per year with fewer than $50 million in overall guarantees would be surprising"
Eagles fans have permanent PTSD from past big cornerback signings (Nnamdi Asomugha, Byron Maxwell), so going all-in on Jones might not be received with unanimous praise. However, since Jim Schwartz's defense relies heavily on great cornerback play (and fans have been bickering about the lack of good cornerbacks the past decade), it makes sense for Howie Roseman to want to bring in an established cornerback. It is much safer to bet on a cornerback like Jones rather than use an early draft pick on a gamble that might take years to develop.
This time around, there isn't an offensive line coach at defensive coordinator or a fast offensive-minded coach that doesn't care about the defense being constantly exhausted to potentially ruin this big-time cornerback signing. The saying goes "third time's a charm"...
