Eagles Bringing in DT Malik Jackson
PHILADELPHIA (973espn.com) - The Eagles are bringing in a talented defensive tackle to team with All-Pro Fletcher Cox on the interior of Jim Schwartz's defense.
According to ESPN's Josina Anderson, Philadelphia agreed to terms with the former Pro Bowl tackle Malik Jackson on Monday.
A recent salary-cap casualty in Jacksonville, Jackson, 29, was free to sign at any time and chose the Eagles over the Green Bay Packers, agreeing to a three-year deal worth $30 million per multiple media reports.
Philadelphia recently declined a hefty $13 million option on Tim Jernigan and are not expected to re-sign veteran Haloti Ngata, meaning the position was of high priority with only young players like Treyvon Hester and Bruce Hector scheduled to be back.
Jackson made the Pro Bowl in 2017 when he recorded eight sacks and four forced fumbles with the Jaguars. Those numbers fell off last season (3 1/2 sacks and No FFs) but he continued to provide consistent heat with 51 quarterback pressures.
He was scheduled to count $15M against the 2019 cap for the Jags and ironically was released to help create space for Jacksonville to make a run at former Eagles backup quarterback Nick Foles in free agency.
Originally a fifth-round pick by Denver in 2012 Jackson was a part of the Broncos' Super Bowl 50-winning team before signing a big-money deal with the Jaguars.
-John McMullen covers the Eagles and the NFL for 973espn.com. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen