By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor 
Howie Roseman appears to have made a masterful move with the defensive line once again.
On Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported that the Eagles were expected to land defensive tackle Malik Jackson on a three-year, $30 million deal.
The #Eagles are expected to sign DT Malik Jackson on a 3-year deal worth $30M, source said. The deal isn’t agreed to yet, but it is getting there.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2019
Nothing is agreed to officially, bet there is so much about this move to like.
First of all, Jackson was cut from the Jaguars which means he can sign a deal prior to the start of free agency and his contract won’t negatively impact the Eagles comp pick situation – a situation in which they could get four additional picks in the first four rounds.
With the Eagles having agreed to trade Michael Bennett to the Patriots, the money from his deal is essentially shifted from a backup defensive end to a starting defensive tackle.
Jackson has won a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2017. In seven seasons in the NFL, he has amassed 252 tackles, 32.5 sacks, 86 quarterback hits, 23 passes defensed, six forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
Last season was a down year for Jackson as played for the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars. He should see his numbers rise with Fletcher Cox, Derek Barnett and Brandon Graham starting alongside him.
The move would also put Treyvon Hester into a rotational role where he absolutely shined last season.
Assuming the first year of his deal carries a cap hit similar to what the Eagles owed Michael Bennett ($7.2 million), Eagles should have a bit over $8 million to use in free agency after signing their draft picks.
Eagles Salary Cap Transaction Table
| Transaction | Salary Change | New Cap Space |
|---|---|---|
| Cap Space as of February 25, 2019 | – | $3,613,815 |
| Eagles Extend Brandon Graham | +$10,000,000* | -$6,386,185 |
| Eagles Decline Tim Jernigan’s Option | -$7,000,000 | $613,815 |
| Eagles Extend Jason Kelce | -$4,000,000 | $4,613,815 |
| Eagles Extend Isaac Seumalo | +$800,000 | $3,813,815 |
| Lane Johnson Restructures Deal | -$8,200,000 | $12,013,815 |
| Eagles Trade Michael Bennett | -$7,200,000 | $19,213,815 |
| Eagles Sign Jason Peters to One-Year Deal | -$3,166,668* | $22,380,483 |
| Eagles Sign Malik Jackson | +$7,200,000* | $15,180,483 |
* – Indicates number is a projection and not yet official
Update: The Eagles have officially announced the deal.
Roster Move: #Eagles and DT Malik Jackson have agreed to terms on a three-year contract.#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/jDLMhP00jm
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) March 13, 2019
