Eagles release safety Kevin Byard, clearing salary cap space headed into free agency
Byard wasn't especially productive playing for a struggling defense after being acquired in a midseason trade with the Titans.
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The Eagles released veteran safety Kevin Byard on Friday, clearing about $13 million in salary cap space going into free agency.
ESPN was the first to report the news.
The Eagles added the 30-year-old in October via trade, sending safety Terrell Edmunds and fifth- and sixth-round picks to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for Byard before Week 7.
The former All-Pro’s apparent regression to start the year in Tennessee followed him after the trade. He played 100% of the Eagles defensive snaps after the deal but saw his production continue to tail off during the Eagles’ 1-6 collapse to end the season. He finished the year with a career-low three pass breakups and one interception, all of which came in his 10 games with the Eagles.
According to Pro Football Focus, Byard was targeted 38 times as a member of the Eagles and gave up 32 catches for 321 yards. He finished the season with 122 total tackles with 75 coming for the Eagles.
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Releasing Byard gives the Eagles about $42.5 million in salary cap space ahead of free agency opening on March 13 according to overthecap.com. The Eagles will need to rebuild their secondary again this offseason, particularly at the safety spot opposite Reed Blankenship with 2023 third-round pick Sydney Brown dealing with a torn ACL suffered last January.
New defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s system puts a premium on versatile safeties who can disguise coverage calls and manipulate opposing quarterbacks, and there are several experienced safeties set to test the market in a few weeks. Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. would be the top of the class, but it’s unclear whether the Bucs will use the franchise tag on the 25-year-old before next Tuesday’s deadline.
If Winfield doesn’t hit the market, Giants defensive back Xavier McKinney, New England Patriots safety-linebacker hybrid Kyle Dugger, and, ironically enough, Lions safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson are among the best players available.
Gardner-Johnson is one year removed from signing a prove-it deal with the Lions after turning down the Eagles’ initial multiyear offer during the early portion of last year’s free-agency period.