Eagles’ CJ Gardner-Johnson deletes tweet at ‘wild disrespect’ as negotiations stall over fresh contract
The start of free agency has not been kind to CJ Gardner-Johnson, the Philadelphia Eagles defensive back who led the league in interceptions in 2022. While he is expected to receive record-breaking money in the position, a deal has not yet materialized with any team.
The safety market has not been kind to the players, with Jessie Bates netting a huge new contract with the Atlanta Falcons but settling at a $16 million-per-year average, below what was expected for him.
Gardner-Johnson had the best year of his career with the Eagles after being traded by the New Orleans Saints prior to the 2022 season. He took to Twitter on Thursday to let the world know how he was feeling about the first three days of free agency:
What is happening here?!?! https://t.co/lFDSDQeCcX
He quickly deleted his tweet but the message was clear.
What free agents have the Eagles already signed?
Due to a lack of available cap space, Philadelphia has not been active in the market throughout the first wave of free agency. The team made an effort to retain some of their players, while others inevitably signed with other franchises due to better proposals.
The Eagles did retain some important guys, however. Jason Kelce, Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox are three legends of the team that will return for another season, as all signed one-year contracts for 2023. Boston Scott is also returning for another year.
The most important re-signed player, however, has to be James Bradberry. The lockdown cornerback signed a three-year extension following his excellent 2022 season. His deal was pretty cheap (3 years, $44 million) compared to his quality, so this was some excellent business on Howie Roseman's part.
The only signed guy currently is Rashaad Penny, the ultra-talented running back from the Seattle Seahawks who is often injured, so he signed a discount deal. For that reason, Miles Sanders moved to the Carolina Panthers.
The other players that left the Eagles to sign with other franchises are Andre Dillard (Tennessee Titans), T.J. Edwards (Chicago Bears), Kyzir White (Arizona Cardinals) and Marcus Epps (Las Vegas Raiders). Gardner-Johnson and Isaac Seumalo remain unsigned as of now.
Should the Broncos move for Gardner-Johnson?
This is a deal that would make sense for both parties. For Gardner-Johnson, he would join a team that's supposed to compete in 2023 and has handed huge deals during the first wave. For the Broncos, they're upgrading their defense with a ball-hawk.
There's an obvious connection between Sean Payton and the player, since Payton drafted Gardner-Johnson while at the New Orleans Saints. This would be a great move.