Friday was a day of relief for Philadelphia Eagles fans after edge rusher Bryce Huff was sent packing to the San Francisco 49ers. Still, it serves as a reminder that even the best general managers, like Howie Roseman, will have some hits and misses.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter delivered the news that the Eagles were finalizing a deal that would help them acquire a mid-round pick from the 49ers in exchange for Huff. The deal can't become official until June 1, as the Eagles are working on a restructured contract with Huff, and the two teams will be paying different amounts.
History will not be so kind to Roseman in terms of how this free agent signing lands among the all-time worst signings. How does the Huff deal line up with others the Eagles have signed in the past?
Five of the worst free agent signings in Eagles history
Bryce Huff, DL
Let's start with the one that recently happened. Huff originally signed a three-year, $51 million contract last offseason after racking up over 10 sacks with the New York Jets the previous season. This was a great move in hindsight, as the Eagles get a 26-year-old pass rusher to be the eventual replacement for Brandon Graham. It didn't quite work out.
Huff went on to make 13 tackles, four quarterback hits, three tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and one forced fumble in 12 games. He missed five games due to injury. To top it off, he didn't record a single stat in the postseason and was inactive for the Super Bowl.
To summarize, Huff was an Eagle for one year, dropped his sack number year over year by 7.5, and didn't even play in the most crucial game of the season because the Eagles didn't want him to play. Yeah, this deal won't age well.
Demetress Bell, OL
If Eagles fans thought the Huff deal was bad, let's turn the clock back 13 years to showcase one of the worst signings of all-time. Meet former Eagles left tackle Demetress Bell.
Bell spent his first four years with the Buffalo Bills before landing a five-year, $35 million deal with the Eagles in 2012. His job was to come in for the injured Jason Peters at left tackle after he tore his Achilles. As fans can tell from this list, it didn't work.
Bell played in just nine games with five starts, and those starts were disastrous. Quarterback Michael Vick was getting hit in the pocket, and Bell was constantly penalized. He got benched for King Dunlap, and after one season, Bell would never step on an NFL field in the regular season again. Big yikes.
Byron Maxwell, CB
Another one-and-done free agent that was painful for Eagles fans to watch. Cornerback Byron Maxwell signed a six-year, $63 million contract with Philadelphia in 2015 in the hopes of bringing a part of the "Legion of Boom" with him that he had with the Seattle Seahawks. Eagles got the "Legion of Doom" experience with Maxwell.
Maxwell started 14 games for the Eagles as he finished with 64 tackles, 10 pass deflections, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. The Eagles finished 7-9 on the season and head coach/general manager Chip Kelly lost his job.
One of Roseman's first moves returning as general manager in the 2016 offseason was trading Maxwell to the Miami Dolphins. See, while Roseman has made some mistakes, it's been more of smart moves like offloading Maxwell.
DeMarco Murray, RB
Another questionable Kelly move during his time was signing former Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray to a five-year, $40 million contract with Philadelphia. Murray was coming off two Pro Bowl appearances and led the NFL in rushing yards (1,845) and rushing touchdowns (13) in 2014. Stealing a division rival's best player was one of the premier backs in the NFL. Couldn't go wrong, right? Oh it sure did.
Murray would rush for 702 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games with the Eagles. He went from 4.7 yards per carry with Dallas in 2014 to a career-low 3.6 yards per carry.
Roseman also righted this wrong by trading him to the Tennessee Titans in the 2016 offseason. Murray replaced fan favorite LeSean McCoy and couldn't have been a worse fit for Kelly's offense. Eagles fans will always block this moment out of their heads.
Nnamdi Asomugha, CB
The moment Eagles fans have been dreading when reading this article. It's time to talk about the biggest disappointment in franchise history: Nnamdi Asomugha.
In his first eight seasons with the Oakland Raiders, Asomugha made three Pro Bowls and was included in the AP's All-Pro team four times. The Eagles were getting the best shutdown corner in the NFL when they signed him to a five-year, $60 million contract in 2011. What made this move the worst was that Eagles fans had to suffer for two years with Asomugha.
In 32 games with the Eagles, Asomugha had 95 tackles, 17 pass deflections, six tackles for loss, and four interceptions. The failed experience resulted in Philadelphia releasing him, and he would go on to play in only three more games with the 49ers before his career came to an end. So did the misery Eagles fans had and the organization had giving him all that money for nothing.
