Ultimate “catch and release” question for Eagles re. Maclin and Agholor—

“In a textbook Friday evening news dump, the Kansas City Chiefs released wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, saving $7.6 million in 2017 salary cap charges, according to Overthecap.com. Cutting Maclin after June 1 boosted the savings by $2.6 million over what they would have been previously.  This was a shocking move in that Maclin’s signing, for five years and $55 million, $22.5 million guaranteed, was a major coup for the Chiefs in the offseason two years ago. Maclin changed the face of a wide receiving corps that might have been even less well-regarded than what the Eagles fielded last season. Maclin’s 87 catches for 1,088 yards and eight touchdowns in 2015 gave Andy Reid’s offense a new dimension.”

“Reid was the Eagles’ coach when the team drafted Maclin in the first round, 19^thoverall, in 2009. Maclin made the Pro Bowl after the 2014 season, but when he became a free agent, Kansas City offered more than Reid’s successor, Chip Kelly, thought Maclin was worth.”

“Friday’s unexpected release of a starting-quality wideout who just turned 29 last month immediately raised speculation about whether he might return to the Eagles, and the city he said he never really wanted to leave. Eagles coach Doug Pederson was Kansas City’s offensive coordinator in 2015. Eagles de facto general manager Howie Roseman goes out of his way to retain productive draftees, and probably would have handled the Maclin free-agency differently.”

“But the Eagles executed an offseason plan to improve their wideout corps that didn’t include a high-salaried vet coming available in June. They signed both Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith to one-year deals. Then they drafted Mack Hollins and Shelton Gibson. They retain Jordan Matthews, and releasing disappointing 2015 first-round pick Nelson Agholor, who was supposed to replace Maclin, would incur  more than $1.1 million in cap charges, beyond what the team would save on his salary.”

“Also, there is the matter of whether 2017 Maclin is worth anywhere near what 2015 Maclin was worth. Slowed by a groin injury last season, Maclin caught just 44 passes for 536 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games.”

Reid and quite a few Chiefs attended Maclin’s wedding in St. Louis on May 20.

“These decisions are never easy, especially with a player like Jeremy who I’ve grown close with on and off the football field over the years,” Reid said in a statement released by the team. “I have a lot of respect for the way he goes about his business and how he handles himself as a professional. I wish him the best of luck moving forward.”

Okay… before I drop the hook on the question of Maclin over Agholor, let’s hear a counter-perspective from Tommy Lawlor at Iggles Blitz:

“This is surprising because of the timing.

“I talked to Jeff McLane and Jimmy Bama at the Senior Bowl about the Chiefs possibly cutting Maclin. They had a lot of young WRs and not much cap room. I wasn’t sure the move would happen, but it made some sense. When March came and went, I figured Maclin was safe.

“The Chiefs needed cap space to get their draft picks signed so they cut Maclin. This wasn’t about health or performance.

“The question now becomes whether the Eagles have any interest in going after Maclin. He is a high character player with a good combination of size and speed. He posted big numbers in 2015 (87-1088-8), but they fell last year due to a groin injury and the emergence of Tyreek Hill.

“Putting Maclin across from Alshon Jeffery would be a fun idea, but Torrey Smith already has that spot. Smith is almost a year younger and is a good deep threat. Maclin is the better overall receiver.

“There are a handful of teams who need Maclin…not just want him. Buffalo could use a reliable veteran. And Mac knows Sean McDermott from their time together in Philly. The Ravens could use WR help. Marty Mornhinweg is the OC there and knows Mac well from Philly. The Panthers have serious questions at receiver. There are a few other teams that are in the same boat.

“It doesn’t seem likely that the Eagles would be able to cut Smith and sign Maclin to a cheap deal. Possible, yes, but not likely. Maclin could decide coming back to Philly is worth making less money, but that’s generally not how players think. Maclin isn’t getting any younger so he may want to get as much money as he can to help set up his family for the post-football time that is coming.

“It will be interesting to see if the Eagles try anything here. Back in 2011 the team got into trouble because they focused on individual pieces rather than the overall group and how the pieces fit together. That isn’t to say they shouldn’t look into the situation, rather that they need to think this through carefully and figure out if it makes sense to even make some calls.”

Lawlor’s conclusion:

“Maclin could play in the slot, but I think he is best outside. You would need to give him Smith’s spot to get the best out of him. The one real benefit to signing Maclin would be that he would give you insurance in case anything happens to Jeffery. Maclin returning to Philly would be a great story, but it isn’t likely to happen.”

My resultant take as an amateur fisherman is we probably don’t have enough bait to snag Maclin for a farewell tour in Philly. We only have a little over $3 million in cap space left to sign anybody.

I’d love to catch him— I think he has at least one more great year left in the tank. Just the experience factor alone would make us better. No way I’m cutting Torrey Smith to make room for Maclin, though. That would be a backwards move both financially and team-spirit-wise.

The only way it makes sense to me re-signing Maclin to the Eagles at a bargain deal for one year would be to release Nelson Agholor. Making the math work for that would be the only issue in my head. I simply would love to catch a real man-receiver (who has been through it all) and release the man-boy fish who needs more seasoning in the NFL at some other team’s expense.