Allen Barbre's time with the Philadelphia Eagles is over. As training camp opened up, the team decided to release the veteran offensive lineman. Then, out of nowhere, they decided to trade him to the Denver Broncos. They didn't necessarily close his opportunity to return to the team, but the guard will continue his career elsewhere. It clears the way for a new starter to take the reins at left guard and grow accustomed to the role as training camp begins to ramp up for the Eagles.
Barbre gets traded
The news originally came out on Wednesday morning.
The team released a statement in regards to Barbre, thanking him for his time with the team. The statement claimed that the release was giving the veteran time to explore other options, while allowing for the fact that he could return to the Eagles one day. For now, however, the two sides will go their separate ways.
Barbre signed a three-year, $4.3 million deal in 2014 after joining the team the previous season. He started 12 games last season, providing a stable force on the line. The 33-year old knew his time with the team was coming to an end, though.
Prior to OTAs, he actually had permission from the team to seek a trade, which failed to materialize. The Eagles were destined to save $2.1 million in cap space by cutting Barbre now.
They could have used that money to shore up the offensive line or assist the defensive backs.
Rather than cutting veteran G Allen Barbe... the #Eagles are trading him to the #Broncos for a late conditional future pick, source said.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 26, 2017
Instead, late word emerged that the team was trading him to the Broncos for a conditional late round pick, according to NFL Network analyst Ian Rapoport.
The Broncos have had consistent offensive line concerns over the past few years, so Barbre will provide some stability in the same way he did for the Eagles.
Implications for the Eagles
The Eagles traded Barbre from a place of strength. Earlier in the day, it appeared the team was poised to install Isaac Seumalo at left guard.
He played both guard and center during his collegiate career before becoming little-used during his rookie season with the Eagles. Clearly, the team has liked what they've seen out of him throughout the season and feel comfortable giving him a shot to learn on the job.
The trade of Barbre wasn't the only transaction the team made on Wednesday. They also signed linebacker Steven Daniels to a three-year contract, waiving defensive end Marcus Smith in the process. It all marks an exciting start to training camp for the Philadelphia Eagles.
