Why Haven't The Philadelphia Eagles Signed LB NaVorro Bowman?

The Philadelphia Eagles are fresh off their first-ever Super Bowl win but that hasn’t stopped them from adding talent. One of their biggest concerns this offseason has been their LB core. With Nigel Bradham re-signed, and Eagles moving on from Mychal Kendricks, the team must add depth. One of the names still floating around is NaVorro Bowman.

While with the San Francisco 49ers, Bowman would become one of the best run-stopping LB’s in the game. However, injuries derailed his career until he signed with the Oakland Raiders last season. While with the Raiders, Bowman, in just 10 games, would finish the year with 89 tackles and eight quarterback pressures on just 40 pass-rushing snaps. Bowman is back.

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But with the Raiders a bit cash-strapped this offseason, Bowman is free to sign elsewhere and the Philadelphia Eagles would make a perfect fit.

According to Spotrac, Bowman’s market value is $4.8 million. Last season with the Raiders, he made $2.6 million with incentives. This contract fits right along with what the Eagles have done this offseason in terms of signing veteran players who want to win. The Eagles would be wise to add a soon-to-be 30-year-old Bowman to the roster who averaged 140 tackles for three straight seasons. To get Bowman at a discount price of just under $5 million would be a steal.

With the loss of Kendricks, the Eagles will head into the season with Hicks and Bradham as the starters but after that, the production takes a dip. Also, there is a bit of uncertainty regarding the status of Jordan Hicks after he went down with an injury in 2017. The Eagles need depth at linebacker. The Eagles’ defense ranked first in rushing yards allowed in 2017 by giving up only 79.2 yards per game. If Bowman can provide the same stellar performance he did for the Raiders last season, then there’s no reason to believe the Eagles won’t be the favorites to repeat in 2018.

There’s no doubt one of the young guys can step in and be a body in the middle of the defense, but if the opportunity is there to snag a veteran like Bowman for cheap, then why not go for it? This is one of those moves where the Philadelphia Eagles must think “what if” instead of “not now” and do what needs to be done to shore up possibly their weakest position.

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Mark Wilson

Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.