Philadelphia Eagles Rumors: Darren Sproles Released After DeMarco Murray Trade Denied? Sam Bradford Contract Hurts Mark Sanchez, DeMeco Ryans

Feb 11, 2016 09:56 AM EST
Darren Sproles
Philadelphia Eagles running back Darren Sproles runs a play during a 2015 home game."

While the Philadelphia Eagles have been doing a good job of re-signing most of their in-house talent, there will be cap casualties as Doug Pederson aims to get his favored roster in place. Riley Cooper learned that the hard way as the receiver was released the moment the NFL offseason began. The question is who else will follow as Darren Sproles is making his case to return to the roster.

According to CSNPhilly.com, Sproles is at risk of getting cut, but the Eagles are expected to explore trade options before making a final move. The running back has certainly proved his worth to the team as a pace-changing back. He is also critical on special teams. There could be some teams interested in giving up a late-round draft pick for Sproles, but nothing more. If a trade cannot be found, the Eagles have a tough decision to make. He will have a $4.5 million cap hit while being 33 in June. The team would save $3.5 million by releasing him. However, replacing his production would be tough.

If the Eagles release Sproles, that means they have confidence that DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews can improve off of last season's disasters. The two running backs did not run well together, but Murray is making it clear that he is not aiming to move on from the Eagles which means he will return as the lead running back. With that a guarantee, there might be no need to keep Sproles around, especially at his current price tag.

While it might seem silly, another tough cut the Eagles might have to make is Mark Sanchez. At the moment he is the only quarterback on the roster and with a $5.5 million cap hit in 2016, it would seem like a no-brainer to cut him and save $3.5 million. However, there is a lot of doubt regarding the future of Sam Bradford and the quarterback spot. If the Eagles do not bring Bradford back, which according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, is a possibility, they will be relying on a rookie.

ESPN's Todd McShay has noted that none of the quarterbacks in this year's draft are a guaranteed hit. They might not be ready to start right away and could take time to develop. Even if the Eagles draft Jared Goff, Paxton Lynch and Carson Wentz, they might not be ready Week 1. That is where having Sanchez would come in handy. Is Sanchez an elite quarterback? No, but neither will a rookie be after getting drafted leaving the Eagles in need of someone with experience who can lead the team while another player develops. Cutting Sanchez leaves the team needing two quarterbacks instead of just one.

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