Eagles part with a warrior: Todd Herremans confirms release
An NFL source confirms the release of right guard Todd Herremans, who was tied for longest tenure on the team. Herremans, who deal with serious injuries two of the past three seasons, did not want to take less money to stay, a source said, though it isn't clear that would have been an option.
The concerns about the Eagles' offensive line heading into this offseason were age and injuries. Those two lines intersected at 32-year-old right guard Todd Herremans, who missed half of last season and half of the 2012 season.
Last week, a league source indicated Herremans would not be interested in discussing a salary reduction, for a team with the NFL's largest OL payroll, and today, Herremans confirmed Adam Caplan's ESPN report that Herremans will be released.
Herremans, a fourth-round pick in 2005 from Saginaw Valley State, was greatly respected by teammates and coaches in two regimes. He started 124 Eagles games at guard and tackle, played through injury, set an example of hard work and commitment. He carried a $6.2 million cap hit for 2015 that turns into a $2.4 million of dead money, a $3.8 million savings. This was to be the final season of a three-year, $18 million contract.
But the Eagles began last season with three key OL starters over 30 and two of them -- Herremans and 33-year-old left guard Evan Mathis -- suffered serious injuries as the line struggled. The team, which did not draft an offensive lineman last year, almost certainly will address that area this offseason both in free agency and the draft.
Herremans and fellow 2005 draftee Trent Cole were the longest-tenured Eagles. Cole is expected to soon discuss restructuing his contract, which carries an $11.65 million cap charge in 2015.