Eagles former first-round pick Andre Dillard is leaving in free agency, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport reported.
Dillard, 27, is signing a three-year contract worth $29 million to join the Tennessee Titans, according to the report.
That’s a nice payday for the Eagles’ first-round pick from the 2019 draft.
The Eagles traded up in 2019 to draft Dillard with the No. 22 pick out of Washington State with the plan to make him the eventual replacement for Jason Peters as the franchise’s starting left tackle. That never happened.
In 2020, Dillard was supposed to take over that role but he tore his biceps in training camp and missed the entire season. During the 2020 season, former Australian rugby player Jordan Mailata eventually got some playing time at left tackle and played extremely well. That set up an open competition between Mailata and Dillard in the 2021 trainman camp and Mailata won it easily.
Just before the 2021 season began, the Eagles gave Mailata a four-year, $64 million contract and Dillard officially became a backup. But give Dillard credit. Because he kept improving and this past season even played some guard. He was the Eagles’ backup left tackle and left guard all season.
In his NFL career, Dillard has played in 43 games with 9 starts. But he won’t turn 28 until during the 2023 season and still has a chance to be a long-term starter in the NFL.
But it always made sense that he would leave as a free agent this offseason. The Eagles weren’t going to pay big money to a backup offensive lineman and there wasn’t a starting spot on the Eagles’ OL. And Dillard still has aspirations to be a starter. After the Titans released former starting left tackle Taylor Lewan this offseason, it seems like he’ll have that opportunity in Tennessee.
As of early Monday evening, here’s an updated list of the landing spots for pending Eagles’ free agents:
Brandon Graham: Eagles
T.J. Edwards: Bears
Jason Kelce: Eagles
Javon Hargrave: 49ers
Andre Dillard: Titans
Marcus Epps: Raiders
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