EAGLEMANIACAL.com

Image courtesy of utsandiego.com

DID you hear that?  Your answer is probably “No”.

A warning shot was fired at Todd Herremans  the other day, and almost no one noticed it, even though it was announced. Tuesday morning, the Eagles signed back-up OL Allen Barbre to a 3-year extension; after just one year (and zero starts), with the team.

Is he versatile? Yes. Does he know the system? Yes. Does he provide quality depth? Yes.

All those ‘yeses’ makes this a good, solid signing. You’d have to be out of your rabid ass mind to argue with it. However what makes this signing worth my time to write about, is the handwriting on the wall. If you step back and take a look, it’s damned near graffiti.

According to Barbre “The Eagles reached out to my agent and we were able to work something out and get it done, and I couldn’t be happier.” STOP! Hold the phone. You have a 29 year-old, journeyman Offensive Lineman, with zero starts in 4 years (including being out of the NFL for all of 2012 before we came calling in 2013); and the Eagles reached out to his agent?

I already warned you about the impending cap crunch of 2015 right? And with ZERO comments refuting what I said in that article, I’ll assume we’re all on the same page. So let’s keep it moving.

With a cap crunch you need to either skimp on contracts or manufacture savings by cutting players. We all agree that this is Trent Cole’s last year here; and unless he makes the Pro Bowl, Cary Williams won’t wear an Eagles uniform and make 8 million in 2015. But you still need to manufacture some savings. Who else can you afford to cut?

Enter Todd Herremans. Herremans is due 5.2 million in 2015, but if he’s cut he only represents 2.4 million in dead money. That’s a savings of 2.8 million. If you can pay Barbre less than that 2.8 in 2015, you get a net savings. How much or how little you net, depends on what you pay Barbre for 2015.

It’s a smart play, and the way they did this signing during OTA’s was almost genius. During OTA’s because of guys in shorts, fans hardly took notice of the signing. I sat on this story for the last 2 days to track the chatter on it, and almost no one is talking about it. Like a good magician, the Front Office got you to turn to the right, when the trick was on the left.

This same move in (slow news) April would have led to guys like G Cobb, or Mike Missanelli openly questioning Herremans’ immediate future, which by the way is secure for 2014. He’s owed 4.2 but his dead money figure is 3.6. That cut would save us nothing and hurt our depth. So he stays and if he’s healthy, he starts. At least to open the season.

Last preseason Barbre played in place of Jason Peters and even kicked inside for Evan Mathis on later series in those same games. To my recollection he played exclusively on the left side. It’ll be interesting to see if he gets any reps at RG in camp and in the preseason.