Brodrick Bunkley agreed to a six-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday, ending the first-round pick's two-week holdout.
Bunkley, the 14th overall selection in the NFL draft, agreed to a deal worth $13 million, according to an official within the NFL. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because terms weren't publicly disclosed, said $10 million of that money is guaranteed, and the maximum value of the contract could reach between $25-$30 million with incentives.
The 6-foot-2, 300-pound defensive tackle missed 16 days of camp, and won't play in Sunday's game against Oakland. The negotiations between the Eagles and Bunkley's agent, Gary Wichard, initially stalled because the team insisted on making it a six-year contract.
``We wanted to do a six. He would've preferred a five, but he realized that six was important to us very early in the negotiation, well before we went to camp. The discussions we've had have all been about a six-year deal,'' Eagles president Joe Banner said. ``Our policy has always been there's not a gain from holding out.''
The Eagles selected Bunkley to fill a glaring need in the middle of a line that hardly generated a strong rush on quarterbacks last season. At Florida State, Bunkley proved to be a versatile player who can rush the passer and stuff the run. He had nine sacks, 66 tackles and two fumble recoveries as a senior.
Eagles coach Andy Reid and defensive coordinator Jim Johnson were concerned that Bunkley's absence from camp would delay his progress. One bright spot is that tackle is the easiest position to learn in Johnson's complex system.
``It's hard to feel like there is a lot of accomplishment when you get a guy in two weeks late,'' Banner said. ``But certainly once we've hit this point, we're glad to have him in. It's going to be hard to catch up, but there's enough time if he comes in in good shape and works hard for him in to start to contribute. But he won't be able to make up the time that he's lost; that's gone forever.''
The other defensive tackles - Corey Simon and Mike Patterson - selected by the Eagles in the first round since 2000 started as rookies. Simon held out 12 days, while Patterson made it to camp on time.
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