The Eagles have picked up their $12.9 million fifth-year option on defensive tackle Jordan Davis for the 2026 season, something Howie Roseman foreshadowed was coming with a May 1 deadline looming.
"For us, every contract situation we'll talk with the players first. We have tremendous confidence and faith in Jordan Davis," was the GM's non-confirmation confirmation on what was coming after the 2025 NFL Draft wrapped up last week.
The fifth-year option for Davis was not a difficult decision for the Eagles.
The more substantial question is: What is the true worth of a top-tier, two-down player, who topped out at 45% of the team's defensive snaps in the 2023 season?
Last season, Davis' first under Vic Fangio, the big man regressed to 37% of the defensive snaps in the regular season, and that dipped even further to 21% in the postseason run to a Super Bowl LIX championship.
The problems come with the expectations of being the 13th overall pick in the 2022 draft, an asset that generally isn't going to be used on a so-called "two-down player."
The esoteric nature of Davis' job description under Fangio and his two predecessors, who were running a Fangio-like template (Jonathan Gannon in 2022 and Sean Desai in 2023), is based on turning first-and-10 into second-and-long.
Ironically, if Davis does his job and keeps blockers off Nakobe Dean and Zack Baun, he's often off the field for a nickel look with a four-man front.
There is often a misconception with Fangio's defensive schemes because it's a layered approach up front in regard to stopping the run. If the veteran defensive coordinator is concerned with his run defense or if his charges are ineffective, Fangio will use more five-man fronts. When the DC is really concerned, like Week 3 last season at New Orleans, the Eagles' DC might even roll out six-man fronts.
However, what Fangio, and quite frankly any DC in the NFL, wants is to be able to stop the run with as light a box as possible so you have extra manpower in coverage. As the 2024-25 season progressed, the Eagles became very adept at stopping the run with four-man fronts, which meant less playing time for Davis.
The simplistic notion that Fangio used fewer five-man fronts than expected last season and that will carry over is a specious one.
Fangio has been around long enough to know that success with fewer bodies is not necessarily going to translate from week to week, never mind season to season, so the veteran DC is always going to want a true nose tackle on hand to cover all the bases and be able to use multiple fronts when needed.
The Eagles currently have no obvious backup for Davis on the offseason roster and haven't carried two nose tackles since he was injured as a rookie, and veteran Linval Joseph arrived as an in-season addition for the run to Super Bowl LVII after the 2022 season.
Pre-Davis, many observers didn't even realize that Gannon was running a version of Fangio's defense because he didn't have a true NT to use as many odd fronts as he would have liked.
The same would be true this season if Davis missed any time.
The butterfly effect for that would force Fangio to lean heavily on four-man fronts, and use players like Thomas Booker, Moro Ojomo, or perhaps rookie Ty Robinson out of position for the rare snap at NT if the DC needed that look. For Gannon in 2021, that player was pass-rusher Javon Hargrave.
The larger point is that Davis is more important than most realize, so the question for the Eagles becomes how valuable?
Some default to the idea that Davis needs to improve on the pass rush, which is somewhat inconsequential to the playing-time narrative.
While it would be nice if Davis provided a more consistent inside push, and that started to come last season in the playoffs when he sacked Jayden Daniels and Patrick Mahomes, the idea of wanting Davis on the field for obvious passing situations is counterproductive.
Last season, that would have meant taking either Jalen Carter or Milton Williams off the field. This season, it might be Carter and/or Moro Ojomo, or rookie Ty Robinson, two natural interior pass-rushers. Perhaps, even a new look Joker-like role for Jihaad Campbell if the first-round pick is up to speed for a hybrid role.
In the end, it's fair to say the Eagles should have had a better handle on what the expectations of No. 13 overall meant. More so, if the evaluation of Davis was that he could be of greater impact than a Williams-like player on the pass rush, that's just a poor projection.
Moving forward, the equation in front of the Eagle now is how much a premium, two-down run stuffer is worth in an escalating salary-cap world where Carter is likely getting $35M or more on his upcoming extension.
A $12.9M number in 2026 is more than palatable, other than the Eagles would prefer to lower that number from a cap standpoint. The really difficult conversations for the Eagles with Davis are 2027 and beyond, and what an extension might look like.
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Shortly after former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback and current college football analyst Greg McElroy shared that someone "in the know" believes there's a possibility Nick Saban — who retired in January 2024 — might return to coaching, NFL insider Albert Breer suggested that the Dallas Cowboys could be a potential destination for the seven-time national champion. According to Mike Rodak of 247Sports, Saban was asked during a Friday appearance on Fox News if he intends to come out of retirement. "No, I'm really happy with what I'm doing right now," Saban responded. "It's exciting to still be involved in the game. It's exciting for me to work with athletic directors, conference commissioners, people in Congress to preserve the integrity of our game and continue to be able to create opportunities to help young people create value for their future that will help them be successful in their life, which is what we always try to do as a coach." Saban, now working as an ESPN analyst, will be 74 in October. Per Christian Datoc of the Washington Examiner, President Donald Trump could consider having Saban "lead a new commission examining problems arising with the growth of name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights and coinciding changes to the NCAA transfer process." Meanwhile, it's thought that Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones could look to hire a big-name candidate if first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer fails to impress during the 2025 campaign. Additionally, Fox Sports personality Colin Cowherd recently hinted that Saban could be interested in becoming the head coach of the Cleveland Browns if the team selects Texas quarterback Arch Manning as the first pick in the 2026 draft. "There is no opportunity that I know of right now that would enhance me to go back to coaching," Saban added during Friday's segment. "I enjoy what I'm doing. I did it for 50 years. I loved it. I loved the relationships with the players. I loved the competition. But it's another station of life now. I enjoy what I'm doing right now and want to continue to do it — spend more time with my family, my grandchildren, my children. It's been really, really good." The "right now" portion of Saban's comments attracted the attention of Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, who was quick to point out he did not say "no for good" regarding a return to coaching. In short, it seems that rumors about Saban's future could hover over the college and pro football communities through at least the rest of the year.
After years of speculation and nothing materializing, the New York Yankees have at last acquired third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies, per the New York Post's Jon Heyman. Pitching prospects Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz are headed to the Mile High City in return. They were the number eight and 21st-ranked prospects in the Yankees' farm system, per MLB.com. Given the Yankees' struggles at the third-base position over the last few years, bringing in a guy who was an All-Star in 2024 and will be much more reliable is a win. Former MLB player and current analyst Cameron Maybin certainly believes that, as he was pushing the McMahon-to-New York narrative over the last week and feels it could be a great fit for both sides. "The third baseman they need plays in Colorado...I'm telling you! Defensively more than adequate and Taylor made for the ballpark offensively," Maybin wrote on social media. Maybin went on to mention how McMahon will feel reinvigorated joining a World Series contender like the Yankees after the last six-and-a-half years of being at the bottom in Colorado. The 30-year-old is not having his best season, slugging 16 home runs and 35 RBI with a .217 average through 100 games with the Rockies, per MLB.com stats. However, he's consistently been a 20-plus home run hitter who drives in runs at a strong rate and has a large sample size of doing so. Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez (.252 average, 36 HRs, 86 RBI) has seemed to be No. 1 target for most teams, and for good reason, but given the Yankees' current situation and weaknesses, McMahon made more sense. Not only does he play a better third base, which New York desperately needs, but he has another two years of control after 2025, whereas Suarez would have been a rental. The acquisition cost was nothing crazy, and adding a lefty bat with some power to potentially take advantage of the short porch at Yankee Stadium is always a bonus. Some may not be satisfied until they see McMahon positively impacting the New York Yankees, but rest assured, this is a very solid pickup.
The Boston Celtics recently traded away a first-round draft pick, who ultimately became one of the best players in the league. The Celtics held the No. 30 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, but instead of taking a player, the team opted to trade the pick, along with forward Enes Freedom's salary, to the Memphis Grizzlies in a contract dump situation. The Grizzlies chose shooting guard Desmond Bane with the pick, who established himself as one of the best players at his position in the league. More news:Former Celtics Forward Says His Injuries Are the Reason Jayson Tatum Became Superstar in Boston Although he's a bit undersized for a two guard, Bane provides rare two-way value on both ends of the court. On the Celtics, he could have flourished, but it never materialized. According to ESPN's Zach Kram, the trade has aged poorly, to the point where it could be one of the worst moves that the team has made since 2020. "This was a reasonable move at the time: The Celtics didn't have room on their roster for another young player, and trading Bane's draft rights allowed them to shed Enes Freedom's salary," Kram wrote. "Nobody expected the No. 30 pick to develop into the sort of player who'd one day command four first-round picks in a trade," Kram added. This summer, Bane was flipped to the Orlando Magic, where he figures to provide a massive upgrade to the team's backcourt shooting and scoring. "But Bane did, and Boston certainly could have used him over the past half-decade," Kram noted. "A solid defender for his position and career 41% 3-point shooter, Bane would have been a perfect fit in the Celtics' system." More news: Celtics Urged to Sign Former All-Star in Major Free Agent Move While Bane would have ended up on a big contract down the line, he fits the mold of the ideal Celtics player, providing consistent shooting at a high volume with impressive perimeter defense. He offers similar value as Derrick White, though he is younger and has much more basketball left in his career. While the Celtics could use Bane, the team still ended up winning the 2024 NBA championship and looks poised to challenge for a title for the next decade. More news: Celtics Could Trade $45 Million Guard in Major Roster Shakeup: Report For more news and notes on the Boston Celtics, visit Boston Celtics on SI.
The New York Yankees didn't come into the season with the strongest third base situation, and it only got worse over time. They converted traditional second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the hot corner after getting him at the Trade Deadline last season and installed a timeshare with him, DJ LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza, and Oswaldo Cabrera there in 2025. However, the latter player broke his ankle on May 12, and the Yankees released the now 37-year-old LeMahieu on July 10. Chisholm was primarily back at second at that point, so this left Peraza and Jorbit Vivas as their only true remaining third basemen. With Peraza hitting .147 and Vivas hitting .164, it was clear what the team's biggest need was. That's why it acquired veteran third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies on Friday. New York manager Aaron Boone gave his thoughts about the 30-year-old before Friday's bout with the Philadelphia Phillies, via SNY. "I know there's real offensive potential there. I know he's had real offensive success, as well as some struggles there over the last calendar year or two," he said. "It seems like over the last month he's really started swinging the bat like he's capable of. He can impact the ball, he can control the strike zone, he's had some swing-and-misses that have probably hurt him a little bit." "But then he can really defend over there," he continued. "The handful of times that we've played against them that I watch him, you're like, 'That's what it should look like over there.' He moves really well and has that prototypical good third base thing." McMahon is slashing .217/.314/.403 with 16 homers and 35 RBI over 100 games this season. He also has a .978 fielding percentage and six errors. Right-handed pitcher Will Warren (6-5, 4.91 ERA) will start for the Yankees against Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker (3-5, 3.75 ERA) on Friday.