Heading into free agency, you had to assume the direction the Eagles decided to go would reveal a lot of about their long-term vision for the construction of the roster. If they signed a cornerback to a multi-year deal, it would have a different sort of trickle-down than if they signed a wide receiver to such a contract. There would be implications one could extend to the draft, to the job prospects of current members of the roster, to future contract decisions, etc.
I’m thinking specifically of Jordan Matthews, who was the subject of a column I wrote a few weeks ago that essentially concluded the Eagles were at a point where they needed to decide whether or not they were planning on signing him to a multi-year extension this summer.