Eagles free agency news: Birds, Saquon Barkley deny breaking tampering rules; updated salary cap numbers

Newly-signed edge rusher Bryce Huff has a chip on his shoulder that bears the weight of 32 NFL teams.

As a 2020 undrafted free agent out of Memphis, Huff signed with the New York Jets, working to prove the teams that passed on him wrong by showing that he was worthy of his place in the league. The 25-year-old edge rusher made a statement in 2023 when he led the Jets with 10 sacks, and the Eagles rewarded him with a three-year contract worth up to $51.1 million with $34.4 million guaranteed.

Hefty contract in hand, that undrafted-free-agent mindset still lingers within Huff.

Saquon Barkley said he officially put pen to paper on Thursday afternoon, joining the Eagles after six seasons with the New York Giants. The former Penn State running back explained why he chose the Birds.

“When it came to my attention that the Eagles were one of the teams that were interested in me, I definitely go excited about it,” Barkley told the media. “… From watching from afar, everything that they’re about, the culture here, the fans here, I definitely got super excited about it and I’m happy to be a part of this organization and I’m ready to go.”

When asked specifically what it was about the Eagles that made him want to join that culture, he pointed to an unlikely source: the Birds’ late-season collapse – or rather the response to it.

The NFL is looking into the Eagles’ negotiation process with Saquon Barkley for potential tampering, according to a league source, confirming several media reports on Thursday.

The subject of the investigation surrounds whether Eagles general manager Howie Roseman had contact with the star running back during the league’s negotiation window earlier this week, contact that would have been impermissible as team executives are only permitted to speak with players’ representatives unless a player doesn’t have an agent.

Barkley signed a three-year deal worth up to $37.75 million with the Eagles on Monday, leaving the New York Giants in favor of their division rival on the first day of the legal tampering period. During a news conference the following day, Penn State head coach James Franklin suggested Barkley, a former standout with the Nittany Lions, had a conversation with Roseman before signing with the Eagles.

The Eagles have submitted two playing rule proposals, one bylaw proposal, and one resolution proposal ahead of the annual league meeting from March 24-27 in Orlando.

Those proposals will be discussed and voted on for approval by the league’s owners.

The Eagles are submitting a playing rule proposal that allows a team to keep possession after scoring by substituting an offensive play of 4th and 20 from the scoring team’s 20-yard line for an onside kickoff attempt. The proposed rule change stipulates that the scoring team can opt to maintain possession a maximum of two times during the game and that they must be trailing.

Jack Stoll is free to sign with whatever team he wants.

The Eagles didn't re-sign their backup tight end by the start of free agency, which was Wednesday at 4 p.m. As a result, Stoll is now an unrestricted free agent free to sign elsewhere, according to the Inquirer's Jeff McLane.

Stoll, 26, is a blocking tight end who sat on the depth chart behind Dallas Goedert and Grant Calcaterra. In three seasons with the Eagles, he's caught 20 passes for 183 yards.

Even after adding Saquon Barkley, the Eagles have plenty of cap space to sign more players.

The Eagles are $39.9 million under the 2024 salary cap, according to the number crunchers at Over the Cap. Barkley's cap hit in 2024 is only expected to be about $3.9 million, despite signing a three-year deal worth up to $37.75 million, with $26 million guaranteed.

Not included in the currently salary cap figure is Bryce Huff's contract. The former New York Jets edge rusher reportedly signed a three-year deal worth up to $51.1 million, with $34.4 guaranteed.

Howie Season got off to a rousing start. In the first three days of free-agent courtship, Howie Roseman extended the contract of his best young offensive lineman. He signed the most exciting young pass rusher on the market. He broke from his pattern and committed big money to a big back. Then he corrected his biggest mistake of 2023.

Now that the euphoria of spending money has receded, it’s proper to consider the real value of the investments, and to ask:

A year from now, will the Eagles have buyer’s remorse?

The Eagles took in the new league year with the familiar resolution of reworking a thin linebacking corps.

In the two days of legal tampering leading up to the start of the new league year on Wednesday, the market for off-ball linebackers was particularly active. Several free-agent linebackers, including Patrick Queen and Frankie Luvu, signed multiyear contracts with new teams, but the Eagles are still in need of at least one proven player to pair with Nakobe Dean on the depth chart.

There are a few remaining free agent linebackers on the market, including Jerome Baker, Devin White, Tyrel Dodson, and Oren Burks.

The Eagles entered the NFL’s free agency period several holes to fill and more than 20 players set to hit the market.

Here are the players the Eagles plan to add:

Here are the players the Eagles plan to keep: