Javon Hargrave is headed to the San Francisco 49ers in free after inking an $84 million deal. His exit was expected, although it doesn’t make it any more palatable, especially since he’s joining a heated NFC rival. That means the Philadelphia Eagles are in the market for a new pass rusher.
Jordan Davis is the in-house candidate to replace Hargrave at the nose tackle spot, but the team will likely be looking to fill two spots assuming Fletcher Cox leaves in free agency. The latter is far from a foregone conclusion. Cox could follow Brandon Graham’s lead and come back on a hometown discount. Either way, Hargrave is gone, and another versatile chess piece could join the board.
One name to keep an eye on is Zach Allen of the Arizona Cardinals, according to . The 25-year-old is a bit of tweener who is able to play multiple positions on the defensive line. Allen recorded 5.5 sacks and 20 quarterback hits in 2022, plus 47 total tackles (10 for loss). He had pressures from 35 different spots while earning a 71.6 grade on 427 pass-rush snaps (via Pro Football Focus). His “relentlessness” and versatility have been called his biggest strengths.
UPDATE: Allen plans to sign a three-year, $45.75 million deal with the Denver Broncos, per . The move will reunite him with Vance Joseph, his defensive coordinator last year in Arizona who took over the same role in Arizona.
Former Cardinals’ DE Zach Allen reached agreement on a three-year, $45.75 million deal that includes $32.5 million guaranteed at signing with the Broncos, per source. Allen is reunited with Denver DC Vance Joseph.
— Adam Schefter ()
Joseph raved at length about Allen’s improvement last season. He bulked up and started winning his 1-on-1 battles, especially in the trenches. Remember, the 6-foot-4, 281-pounder went in Round 3 (65th overall) in 2019 but some talent evaluators saw first-round talent.
“He’s got bigger and stronger since his rookie year,” Joseph said, via Cards Wire. “That was Zach’s main issue. It wasn’t ability or how he played or his smarts — it was his body. He’s changed his body …read more
Source:: Heavy.com