Birds trade Barbre, cut Smith on eve of training camp
After three years and four sacks, Eagles finally declare Marcus Smith a bust and cut No. 1 pick
PHILADELPHIA » A day before their veterans were to report to training camp, the Eagles released 2014 first-round draft pick Marcus Smith and traded veteran guard Allen Barbre.
Initially Wednesday, the Eagles announced plans to release Barbre, a guard and tackle who started 12 games last season. They later revealed that they traded him instead to the Denver Broncos for a conditional 2019 draft pick.
“Allen Barbre is a pro’s pro,” vice president of football operations Howie Roseman said in a statement. “Not only did he help the team with his solid play as a starter at left guard, but his ability to step up and play multiple positions helped us battle through some difficult situations. We had a conversation yesterday and agreed it made sense to allow him to pursue some other opportunities, but the door is open for him to return here as well.”
Barbre, a 10th year pro with experience in Green Bay, Seattle and Miami, and who has been with the Eagles since 2013, was expected to fit somewhere in the crowded offensive line mix. With his departure, Isaac Seumalo more clearly emerged as the likely No. 1 left guard.
Barbre was due to make $2,050,000 this season. His release will cost the Birds a $150,000 cap hit.
Just prior to the announcement, offensive coordinator Frank Reich addressed the offensive line situation, characterizing his guard lineup as fluid.
“Isaac is a starter, and it’s then just competition from there,” he said. “That’s the great thing about training camp and the great thing about this business. It’s so stinking competitive. It’s what the guys love about it. It’s what we love about it. So, again, it will play itself out.”
Veterans Jason Peters, Lane Johnson, Jason Kelce and Brandon Brooks will have the first chances to fill out the line. Veterans Stefan Wisniewski, Matt Tobin and Halapoulivaati Vaitai remain in the swirl.
*** Despite being the 26th player selected overall in the 2014 draft, Smith never started a regular-season game for the Birds.
Tried at various pass-rushing positions, the University of Louisville product appeared in 37 games and generated four total sacks.
In the last draft, the Eagles used their first-round pick on Derek Barnett, who is said to have similar skills. That was an indication of Smith’s diminishing stature within the organization.
“I do like the guys we have up front,” defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said Tuesday. “It’s not just drafting a guy like Derek or bringing a guy like Chris Long. I think Tim Jernigan is really going to be a big addition for us. He was hard to handle inside.”
*** In a New York Times report, 110 of 111 former NFL players who had their brains studied displayed some form of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Known as CTE, that is a degenerative disease that doctors believe comes from repeated hits to the head.
It did not cause any Eagles to reconsider their chosen line of work.
“That’s probably what I assumed anyway,” Malcolm Jenkins said. “But at the end of the day, anybody who gets hit on the helmet has to weigh their own options. And as long as you can make that educated decision, it is up to the individual.”
Vinny Curry had a similar reaction.
“Can you please not talk about that before training camp?” he said, smiling. “They are always coming up with new helmets and stuff, and are trying to make the game safer.”
Though the latest data did not chase Zach Ertz from the industry, he foresees a change in the way young players are developed.
“I think the participation in tackle football will go down and the participation in flag football will go up,” the tight end said, adding that he would not have changed anything in his football past, even with the new knowledge. “I think it’s molded me into the man I am today. I don’t feel any significant brain deficiencies by any means. If there comes a point where I am lacking in certain areas of my brain, I’ll get it evaluated. But I am not going to really think about it.”
*** Reich attempted to clarify the Eagles’ plan to put Carson Wentz on some kind of practice-field pitch limit.
“One of the great things about this organization is that there literally is data on everything that we do for all the players,” he said. “And certainly Carson is included in that. As a quarterback, some of the data is going to be how many throws you throw. Now, this year is different from last year. He comes in as the guy. He’s going to get more reps; the reps aren’t going to be split equally. So it’s just good business to keep that in the equation and to just keep monitoring that.”
Neither Wentz nor backup Nick Foles practiced Wednesday.
*** The rookies-only portion of camp is over. The full squad is expected at the NovaCare Complex Thursday. To Barnett, there was a value in the head start.
“Just to get back in the playbook before camp hits was good,” he said. “You try to get ahead. A lot of it is just muscle memory. So I’m very grateful to come back a little bit earlier. Now I am excited for the season to get started.”
*** On the eve of camp, count Lane Johnson among those impressed by the assembled skill.
“There is more talent than I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” the right tackle said. “Look at the offensive line. The defensive line. We’ve got some receivers. We’ve got good safeties. So it looks good on paper. Obviously, we have to go put it all together and get that started. But it looks good from Day 1.”
*** In conjunction with the release of Smith, the Eagles resigned linebacker Steven Daniels to a three-year deal. The 2016 seventh-round pick of the Redskins was picked up on waivers by the Eagles in the offseason, did some OTA time with the Birds, and was cut June 1.
After playing at Boston College, Daniels missed his rookie season in Washington with a shoulder injury,