More Howie magic in Joseph, Suh contracts

Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh received identical contracts worth $1.25 million with incentives that could double their total income, according to Field Yates of ESPN.

The Eagles signed Joseph on Wednesday and Suh on Thursday, adding two veteran Pro Bowlers to the defensive tackle rotation.

And they did it without a massive cap hit.

According to Yates, Joseph and Suh agreed to identical contracts that include a $750,000 base salary for the final eight weeks of the season, $250,000 signing bonuses and a total of $250,000 in weekly roster bonuses, plus performance bonuses potentially worth up to $1.25 million.

Both can earn up to $2.5 million for half a season, which is a bargain for Howie Roseman in a league where 31 defensive tackles have average annual salaries worth more than $5 million per year.

This will be by far the least money Suh has ever earned in a season. Joseph earned less in the later years of his rookie deal but not since 2013.

But Joseph and Suh have both earned a fortune in their long NFL careers, and at this point in their career they were both more concerned with joining a winning team than landing the biggest possible contract, and Roseman was able to make the numbers work under the Eagles’ cap. According to OverTheCap, the Eagles had about $9.5 million in cap space before the two additions.

Even before these two big-name additions, the Eagles had the 5th-highest defensive line payroll in the NFL at $39.5 million.

According to Spotrac, Suh has earned $166.2 million in 13 seasons, and Joseph has earned about $69.4 million in his 13 seasons. Both were drafted in 2010, Suh in the first round by the Lions and Joseph in the second round by the Giants.

The Eagles have now had six members of the 2010 first round on their roster at various times: No. 1 pick Sam Bradford was their quarterback in 2015, Suh was the second pick, No. 12 pick Ryan Mathews in 2015 and 2016, No. 13 pick Brandon Graham was their own pick, No. 25 pick Tim Tebow was in training camp in 2015 and No. 32 Patrick Robinson was the Eagles’ slot corner during the 2017 Super Bowl season.

Suh, 35, is a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time all-pro. He has 70.5 career sacks, including six last year for the Buccaneers. He’s started 191 career games and never missed a game because of an injury. 

Joseph, who was with Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon for four years in Minnesota, is primarily a run stuffer but has 25 career sacks. He was a Pro Bowler in 2016 and 2017.

This is the first time in franchise history the Eagles have had five defensive linemen who are 31 or older. In addition to Suh and Joseph, Graham is 34, Robert Quinn is 32 and Fletcher Cox is 31.

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/more-howie-roseman-magic-linval-joseph-ndamukong-suh-contracts