IT SEEMED likely to happen at some point this offseason, regardless, given Riley Cooper's lack of production relative to his salary-cap charge, but it happened Monday, the first day of the 2016 waiver period. That didn't feel like a coincidence.
The Eagles, continuing their efforts to change course in the wake of dismissing head coach Chip Kelly, released Cooper, who would have counted $5.3 million against their cap in 2016. They incur a $2.4 million charge by cutting ties, so they gain $2.9 million in cap room.
Cooper, 28, was the most visible symbol of what came to be viewed as a major Kelly failing - the coach didn't seem to care enough about how his actions might be perceived in the locker room, and particularly wasn't sensitive enough around racial fault lines.