NBC Sports ChicagoFri 19 Jan 2024 23:40 GMT+1.2 min ReadT.J. Edwards is the kind of free agent Ryan Poles will show if he ever competes for NFL Executive of the Year.That, and why Clay Harbor’s report says it’s so confusing why the Eagles never talked to him about a contract extension when he was a free agent last season. Needless to say, the Eagles did not offer him a contract, according to the report.The Bears later signed Edwards to what appears to be an extreme discount to a three-year, $19 million deal.
Why is there a discount? Let’s take a look at the numbers he posted last season.ADVERTISEMENTEdwards, who played four years in Philadelphia before joining the Bruins, played in all 17 games last season. He had three tackles, seven passes defensed, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, 2.5 sacks and 155 tackles (8th in the NFL).Edwards was originally an undrafted free agent after the 2019 NFL Draft. The Eagles signed him after the draft and in his first season he appeared in all 16 games, starting four. He developed into an elite lineman, recording 130 and 159 tackles in 2021 and 2022, respectively.Strangely, the Eagles chose not to discuss his future in Philadelphia and sent him to free agency. The Poles signed Edwards right out of the gate in free agency, bringing him to his hometown team. (Edwards grew up in Lake Villa, Ill.)Edwards now joins a Bears defense that has stepped up in the final weeks of the season. The Eagles, however, were unexpectedly eliminated from the playoffs in the first round. Head coach Nick Sirianni, Fletcher Cox and — maybe — A.J. The browns are fuzzy.Did he get out on time?Either way, the Bruins are happy to have him in Chicago..
