Skip to content
Eagles
Link copied to clipboard

Allen Barbre trade lets Eagles make way for Seumalo; Marcus Smith axed

The trade of the veteran interior lineman was a surprise, but cutting ties with the former first-round-pick was not.

Allen Barbre (76) was expendable because of the development of Isaac Seumalo.
Allen Barbre (76) was expendable because of the development of Isaac Seumalo.Read moreYong Kim

In one afternoon, the Eagles finalized a transition at one position and admitted to a disappointing draft mistake at another: They traded veteran offensive lineman Allen Barbre to create a starting spot for Isaac Seumalo and cut former first-round pick Marcus Smith.

The moves came while most of the team reported to training camp Wednesday, one day before the first full-team workout. The Eagles originally planned to release Barbre, but they agreed to send him to the Denver Broncos for a conditional 2019 draft choice before the release became official.

The team also signed linebacker Steven Daniels, who spent time with the team during the spring.

Smith, the Eagles' underachieving 2014 first-round pick, was not expected to make the team. That does not make his exit any less painful for fans who endured another draft bust. But Smith was low on the depth chart at defensive end and skipped voluntary spring workouts, both signs that his stay in Philadelphia was about to expire. He was set to receive a $594,000 roster bonus if he remained on the team on the third day of training camp.

The team saves $1.48 million against the salary cap by releasing him and absorbs a nearly $1 million salary-cap hit. Trading Barbre opened $2.1 million in cap space for the Eagles, with $150,000 in dead money.

Barbre's exit was more of a surprise than Smith's dismissal. Although he had been rumored to be a potential cap causality or trade possibility, the Eagles appeared set to bring him back. Barbre, 33, joined the Eagles in 2013 and started 29 games. All but one of those starts came during the last two seasons, when he was the team's primary left guard.

It appeared that Barbre would lose his grip on the job during the spring, when the team put Seumalo with the first-team offense. Barbre was recovering from a calf injury, but the team's interest in promoting Seumalo was no secret. Seumalo, 23, was the third-round pick in 2016, the highest selection after Carson Wentz. He started four games  at three  positions last season, but he spent most of his time at left guard during offseason workouts. That set up one of the more anticipated training-camp competitions before offensive coordinator Frank Reich indicated Wednesday that Seumalo would enter camp as the front-runner.

"Isaac's the starter," Reich said, "and then it's just competition from there."

The announcement came while Barbre was still employed by the Eagles. But a move was apparently in the works because Eagles executive Howie Roseman said in a team-issued statement that he met with Barbre on Tuesday. The changing of the guard was ready to take place, and the statement suggested that Barbre could find more appealing opportunities elsewhere.

"Allen Barbre is a pro's pro," Roseman said. "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."

Even if Barbre was not a starter, he still could have been valuable as an experienced reserve lineman who can swing between guard and tackle. That is how he first made his mark with the Eagles in 2013, and it's a role the Eagles showed they needed last season when they started eight players on the offensive line. He also could have provided security if Seumalo suffered an injury or did not play as well as the Eagles believe he can. Although Seumalo is inexperienced, the coaching staff has been optimistic about him.

"Very smart, understands what he's being coached, understands fronts, understands defensive schemes, what to anticipate, very athletic, tough-minded, tough-minded player," Reich said.

The top backup interior linemen are Stefen Wisniewski and Chance Warmack, who were also competing to start at left guard. The top reserve tackle is Halapoulivaati Vaitai, with veteran Matt Tobin and second-year lineman Dillon Gordon offering the tackle-guard versatility that Barbre presented.

Those tackles will not block Smith this summer, although they didn't see him much during the spring. If Smith's roster spot appeared insecure after he totaled only four sacks in three seasons, it did not help his case when the Eagles added Chris Long in free agency and Derek Barnett in the draft. Those two will combine with Brandon Graham and Vinny Curry as the top four at the position. The Eagles had less-expensive options competing for the depth defensive end positions, including Steven Means and Alex McCalister.

But Smith's exit also signals the end of one of the most criticized picks in recent team history. The Eagles whiffed on their preferred options in 2014's first round, traded back into the 20s, and settled on Smith because they were worried that there would be a run on pass rushers. Problem was, they found one who struggled to rush the passer in the NFL.

The Eagles did Smith no favors when they seesawed him between outside linebacker and inside linebacker as a rookie, stunting his development. He focused on the outside in 2015, but little progress was evident. A move to defensive end last season represented a last chance in Philadelphia. When the Eagles declined to exercise his fifth-year option, it was a signal that the end was near.

"It's obvious that that wasn't happening," Smith said in June. "I hadn't really played that much in three years. It wouldn't be smart as a business for the Eagles' business to pick it up."

It wasn't smart business to keep him into August, either. That's why he was waived on a busy afternoon for the Eagles.