Almost four years after the Eagles traded for DeMeco Ryans, the team announced Wednesday that they were releasing the linebacker.
The move was hardly a surprise; Ryans would have had a cap hit of $4.5 million in 2016, and the Eagles now save $3.5 million by letting him go.
The 31-year-old was originally a second-round pick of the Texans, where he played from 2006-11. A locker room leader with the Eagles, Ryans led the team in tackles in his first season in Philly (148), and he had a career year in 2013 (177 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions). But he missed eight games in 2014 after tearing his Achilles, and last season he struggled in pass coverage.
Not helping Ryans' cause: New defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is moving from a 3-4 to a 4-3 scheme. One fewer linebacker means Ryans is the odd man out. Meanwhile, Jordan Hicks, who is coming off a rock-solid rookie campaign, can expected to see an expanded role.
