Javon Hargrave is the Latest Domino is Eagles Restructure Party

The Eagles continue to work to get down to the NFL-mandated $182.5 million salary cap

PHILADELPHIA - The Eagles are continuing the painful work of getting down to the league-mandated $182.5 million salary cap by March 17 with the latest domino being a restructure of the team's big-ticket item in free agency last spring, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Howie Roseman and Jake Rosenberg have tweaked Hargrave's deal to create $9.408M in cap space.

More restructures are now official:
— #Cowboys OLs La'el Collins (creating $5.25M of space), Zack Martin ($7.05M) and Tyron Smith ($6.675M)
— The #Texans restructured WR Brandon Cooks ($6.53M).
— The #Eagles did the same to DT Javon Hargrave ($9.408M).

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2021

Generally, that means Philadelphia took the $9.4M in Hargrave's scheduled $12.75M salary for the 2020 season and gave it to him as a roster or signing bonus, which enables the team to spread it out over the remaining years of the contract.

Hargrave left Pittsburgh in free agency last year, signing a three-year, $39M contract with the Eagles, which included an $11.75M signing bonus and $25M in total guarantees. There are also two voidable years at the end of the deal, a typical Philadelphia bookkeeping trick these days so spreading out the money is more palatable.

During his first season with the Eagles, Hargrave struggled a bit in the move from the Steelers' 3-4 read-and-react scheme to Philadelphia's aggressive approach where it was all about getting up the field under Jim Schwartz.

By the second half of the season, however, Hargrave was playing well as the complement to Fletcher Cox on the defensive interior. ProFootballFocus.com didn't grade out Hargrave well as a run defender but did excel generating pressure inside, ranking as the fifth-best in the NFL behind Aaron Donald, Chris Jones, DeForest Buckner, and Vita Vea.

In 2021 Hargrave will be working under a new defensive coordinator in Jonathan Gannon and a new position coach in Tracy Rocker, a former star DT at himself at Auburn back in his playing days.

The Hargrave tweak comes on the heels of left guard Isaac Seumalo getting a reworked deal which created $2.408M in salary-cap space.

The next dominoes figure to be right tackle Lane Johnson and defensive end Brandon Graham, with restructures in the pipe for both.

Veteran tight end Zach Ertz is also expected to be released or traded while forgotten receiver Marquise Goodwin, who opted-out last season due to COVID-19, could be a cap casualty. 

Defensive end Derek Barnett also remains an extension candidate in an attempt to lower his fifth-year rookie option which will count over $10M against the cap if nothing is done.

The reported deals to date put the Eagles at about $17-to-$18M over the cap.

The COVID-affected cap number of $182.5M is the first time the league's salary cap had declined, dipping from $198.2M last year.

The problem for the Eagles and most teams with veteran-laden, expensive rosters, is that budgeting was done with the historical increase in mind, something that would have put the cap somewhere near $208M in 2021 absent the pandemic.

John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's EagleMaven and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John every Monday and Thursday on The Middle with Eytan Shander, Harry Mayes, former Eagles OT Barrett Brooks streaming live on both PhillyVoice.com and SportsMap Radio. John is also the host of his own show "Extending the Play" on AM1490 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s EagleMaven. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.