Another one bites the dust: Birds release Cary Williams

It isn't a surprise that the Eagles have decided they don't need Cary Williams at an $8.166.668 million cap number this year. It is a bit of a surprise that a team many fans assume is ready to trade much of its draft to move up for Marcus Mariota is now looking to replace three-quarters of its starting secondary from 2014.

The Birds realize a $6.5 million cap savings from releasing Williams, who said a lot of crazy stuff during his two-year Eagles tenure, but who also started 32 of a possible 32 games and wasn't bad at the press-man coverage the team demands of its corners.

Williams said on ESPN 97.5 that he spoke with Eagles coach Chip Kelly, who "told me that he wanted to go in a different direction. I can only respect that and move on."

The other starting 2014 corner, Bradley Fletcher, will become a free agent next week, as will one of the starting safeties, Nate Allen. The Eagles ranked 31st against the pass last season.

Williams said he was not offered a chance to stay for less money. He signed here fresh off a Super Bowl victory with Baltimore in 2013, for three years and $17.5 million.

"I'm not disappointed with anything that went on in Philiadelphia," Williams said. "I had a great time there, enjoyed the fans, I enjoyed my teammates, and I had a great time there. Had fun, and now I'm moving on. It's a part of the National Football League."

Williams was frequently outspoken. Right after he arrived he missed some voluntary OTA time, and vigorously defended his choice to attend to the building of his new home in Tennessee, asserting the importance of choosing the right sconces. Sconce jokes would follow him throughout his tenure.

Later, Williams drew unfavorable parallels between the Eagles' defensive personality and that of the swaggering Ravens D he'd just left. He was thrown out of a joint practice with the Patriots for fighting, and the next year, dissed New England coach Bill Belichick before the Esgles left for a week of practice and a preseason game at New England. Williams also spoke up early last season about Kelly's practices being too arduous.

But beneath the bluster he was a thoughtful, often incisive player who would have looked much better with decent players around him. He apologized to Belichick, apparently without organizational prompting.

Malcolm Jenkins now figures to be the only 2014 secondary starter to return. It seems likely Nolan Carroll will get a shot at starting; the Eagles seem to feel Brandon Boykin, at 5-10, is only suited for the slot.

The Eagles now are in the $34 million range in cap room, which might portend a busy free agent season.