Eagles release Fletcher Cox, but it’s possible he returns

The Eagles released Fletcher Cox in unceremonious fashion on Thursday.

The news broke just before a 4 p.m. deadline that would have guaranteed $18 million to the defensive tackle, but it wasn’t until two hours later that the team officially announced that it had cut one of the best players in franchise history.

“The Eagles are working on a reunion,” was the only explanation provided in a story written by an employee for the team’s web site.

Perhaps that is why team leaders such as owner Jeffrey Lurie, general manager Howie Roseman, and coach Nick Sirianni, who would normally offer statements upon the departure of an Eagles icon, didn’t make statements after Cox’s release.

The Eagles may try to sign Cox at a lower number, and in fact by late Thursday night NFL Network was reporting the two sides were discussing a one-year, $14 million deal and making progress on it. For now, the 31-year-old is now a free agent for the first time in his career and can negotiate with other teams. And he can take less than the Eagles offer, if he wants, after earning almost the full amount of the roughly $100 million contract he signed in June 2016.

» READ MORE: Are Fletcher Cox’s days with the Eagles nearing an end?

But how many teams will be interested, and at what cost? Cox was available before the trade deadline in October and again leading up to his eventual release, sources said. Interested teams this time likely didn’t match the asking price — believed to be a second-day draft pick — because they knew the Eagles faced a deadline.

Cox has also regressed over the last three seasons. Numbers aren’t always reflective of performance, but his sacks and quarterback hits on average over the last three seasons were almost half of what they were in the previous four seasons when he went to four Pro Bowls and was named first team All-Pro.

From 2019-21, Cox averaged 4.5 sacks and 10.3 hits after averaging 8 sacks and 21.3 hits from 2015-18. But film of the defensive tackle was just as damning. The Eagles saw as much and reworked the six-year, $102.6 million blockbuster extension before last season.

» READ MORE: Eagles film: Are Fletcher Cox’s struggles related to a natural regression or scheme?

While the restructure guaranteed his salary for 2021 and a certain amount of the remaining money on the deal, it provided the Eagles an escape this offseason and allowed them to spread the final $25-$30 million, supposedly, over the last two years.

Cox was 24 years old and an ascending player at the time of his extension, but the deal held up, and Roseman restructured it several times to create cap space by pushing guaranteed money into future years.

The Eagles were trying to win another Super Bowl after 2017, but Cox’s restructure and others created cap issues for Roseman as the talent on the roster declined.

By designating Cox’s release post-June 1, the Eagles are expected to save $16 million, an NFL source said. Even if that’s the number, some salary cap experts believe the actual savings could be as minuscule as $2-3 million. Either way, they’re still taking on significant losses in dead money, according to the website overthecap.com.

They’ll eat approximately $13 million or $10 million against the cap this year, and over $15 million next. This comes one year after the Eagles took on the largest dead money cap hit — $33.8 million — in NFL history when quarterback Carson Wentz was traded to the Colts.

It was hard to put a price on Cox when he was playing at his best. Selected in the first round of the 2012 draft, he made an immediate impact in the middle of the Eagles’ defensive line, and even though the team switched defensive schemes two years into his career, Cox was often still an immovable beast.

When Jim Schwartz became defensive coordinator in 2016, and the Eagles moved back to a 4-3 aggressive front, Cox became even more dominant. He was instrumental in the Super Bowl run, often drawing double teams that freed up his teammates, and in 2018 recorded career highs in sacks (10.5) and hits (34).

His play began to slip, though, and Cox’s inconsistencies became more pronounced. A new defensive system employed last season by coordinator Jonathan Gannon compounded his issues. Cox was no longer free to penetrate as he pleased.

He was frustrated by his new role and publicly questioned Gannon’s scheme following a loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in late October. A week later, he was granted permission to shop his services to other teams before the trade deadline, sources said.

» READ MORE: Eagles unable to move Fletcher Cox before trade deadline

The Steelers were most interested, but they failed to match Roseman’s demands. Cox improved down the stretch, as had been the case in prior seasons, but the Eagles worked to renegotiate his contract this offseason.

They couldn’t come to an agreement, and the team released him.

Cox’s return is not a done deal. But it would be an almost unprecedented turn of events for a player of that caliber.