10:20pm: Whereas the restructure to Huff’s contract and his subsequent commerce will clear greater than $15MM off the Eagles’ 2025 wage cap, the workforce is simply receiving $2.4MM in sensible financial savings, according to OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald. Initially, Huff would have counted for $7.4MM in opposition to the 2025 cap along with his choice bonus prorating out over the following 5 years. Now, the Eagles should soak up a $4.94MM useless cap cost this yr with $16.6MM in useless cash in 2026.
Whereas there may be a variety of chatter in regards to the Eagles creating over $15 million in area this yr the fact is Huff’s authentic cap quantity was simply $7.4 million so actually the workforce is simply $2.4 million higher off than initially anticipated.
12:43pm: To little shock, Bryce Huff won’t stay with the Eagles for 2025. A commerce settlement is in place for the veteran edge rusher.
After remaining away from the team during spring workouts, Huff is about to be on the transfer shortly. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports a commerce has been labored out which is able to ship him to the 49ers in return for a mid-round choose. The swap will formally happen after June 1. Schefter notes a Day 3 choose will change palms on this case.
Huff has restructured his contract to facilitate the commerce. As Schefter’s colleague Field Yates details, Philadelphia declined Huff’s choice bonus (which was price a assured $15.58MM), giving him a 2025 base wage of the identical quantity. The Eagles then transformed $9.05MM of that wage right into a signing bonus that they may soak up as useless cash throughout the following two years. San Francisco will tackle the remaining $7.95MM in base pay for the approaching marketing campaign. Philadelphia will save greater than $15MM in cap area whereas the 49ers grow to be answerable for the ultimate two years of Huff’s contract.
Expectations had been excessive for Huff upon his arrival in Philadelphia final yr, however his $51MM pact didn’t work out as deliberate. This deal will permit him to reunite with Robert Saleh after the 2 labored along with the Jets. Saleh was the top coach for Huff’s last three years in New York and returned to the 49ers’ defensive coordinator place this offseason.
Returning to a Saleh-coached protection might assist Huff return to his 2023 type, which featured 10 sacks and a league-high 21.3% stress charge, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. The 27-year-old struggled to adapt to Vic Fangio‘s scheme in Philadelphia, which demanded extra versatility out of its edge defenders. In San Francisco, Huff can concentrate on speeding the passer, which might unlock No. 11 choose Mykel Williams to tackle a extra variable function on third downs.
For the Eagles, that is yet one more sensible little bit of enterprise by basic supervisor Howie Roseman, who pursued Huff aggressively final offseason however wasn’t afraid to confess his mistake and transfer on this yr. The restructured contract is an instance of Roseman’s inventive wage cap administration that allowed Philadelphia to keep away from paying out the total $34MM of assured cash in Huff’s contract.
After letting Josh Sweat stroll in free company, the Eagles will want one other edge defender to step up as a starter alongside Nolan Smith. They’ve a number of choices to select from after re-signing Patrick Johnson and including Azeez Ojulari and Josh Uche this offseason. 2024 third-rounder Jalyx Hunt might additionally earn a beginning job after flashing his pass-rushing expertise throughout the workforce’s playoff run final season.
