Thurmond, Thornton top list of Eagles free agents

Now that the Eagles have reached a new deal with Sam Bradford, they can enter free agency with a better sense of their salary-cap space and quarterback situation.

The Eagles have exclusive negotiating rights with their eight remaining free agents for three more days before the "legal tampering" period, when contracts can be negotiated with any team in the league. Free agency officially opens at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Before Bradford was re-signed, the Eagles kept Vinny Curry and Najee Goode from reaching the market. When the executive vice president of football operations, Howie Roseman, was asked last week about using the franchise tag on Bradford, he intimated that the option might be too burdensome on the team's salary cap.

"Obviously, our cap space becomes a factor into everything that we do," Roseman said. For us, we've got to build the team. We've got to add players and we'd like to add more than one player this offseason."

By reaching a new deal with Bradford instead of using the franchise tag on him, the Eagles saved $7.453 million in cap space. They should have about $18 million in space, unless they adjust other contracts or release players before Wednesday. Some of that space must be allocated to signing their draft picks. But the Eagles no longer need to carve out dollars for a quarterback, which is why the Bradford deal helps them going into next week.

The top remaining free agent on the roster is safety Walter Thurmond, who started 16 games in his first season with the team after moving from cornerback. The 28-year-old, six-year veteran played on one-year deals the last two seasons and will be in line for a longer-term contract after the best season of his career. Thurmond could draw interest as both a safety and a cornerback.

"I'm not a young spring chicken anymore," Thurmond said at the end of the season. "This contract could potentially be my last, depending how long it is. It's going to come down to what's best for me, the fit, the coaches here, who's going to be here."

Another starter hitting the free-agent market is defensive lineman Cedric Thornton, a career Eagle who progressed from undrafted rookie to practice squad player to reserve to starter. Thornton, 27, started 45 games over the last three seasons at defensive end, and he would move to defensive tackle in the Eagles' new 4-3 system. The team already has Fletcher Cox and Bennie Logan as returning starters, so Thornton could find more playing time elsewhere.

At the end of the season, he did not know whether he would return to Philadelphia for a sixth year.

"I don't feel like that's a question that needs to be answered right now," Thornton said then. "Do I like the Philadelphia organization? Yeah. I love it."

Cornerback Nolan Carroll, who was a starter for 11 games before a leg injury, is also set to hit the market. Carroll has been in Philadelphia rehabbing a broken fibula and would like to stay, although Eric Rowe (a second-round pick last year) emerged as a starting cornerback in Carroll's absence.

The other pending free agents are all reserves. Cornerback E.J. Biggers offers versatility and was valued by the former staff. Wide receiver Seyi Ajirotutu was a key veteran special-teams player. Some coaches like young, developmental players in those roles. No. 3 quarterback Thad Lewis is also set to hit the free-agent market.

Offensive linemen Matt Tobin and David Molk are both restricted free agents. The Eagles have until Wednesday to give them qualifying offers.

zberman@phillynews.com

@ZBerm