Jeff McLane On Why The Eagles Didn’t Bring Back CJ Gardner-Johnson
CJ Gardner Johnson is gone. He has signed with the Detroit Lions. But he got just a one-year, $8 million deal. Leaving many to wonder why the Eagles would not give him that. Was there bad blood between the two sides? Or did they just not value him very highly? Earlier today, Jeff McLane from the Philly Inquirer joined the Anthony Gargano Show. He tried to explain why the Eagles may have passed on him, and why there was not more interest in him on the free-agent market.
"The Eagles viewed him as a guy that once he got a huge contract, how was he going to behave?" - @Jeff_McLane on C.J. Gardner-Johnson
— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) March 21, 2023
"The fact the Saints dealt him for a 5th-round pick makes you wonder." - @Jeff_McLane on C.J. Gardner-Johnson's off the field character
— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) March 21, 2023
CJ Gardner-Johnson has been on a bit of a tirade all off-season on Twitter. He would tweet something, then delete it, then tweet something else, but then delete it again. He has always had a reputation as someone who speaks his mind. And we saw his agency do the same when after there was much criticism of them for the deal they got CJ, they took to Twitter to defend themselves. He had a reputation in New Orleans for getting in trouble for instigating and taunting on the field. But he never caused any issues we know of while in Philly.
On the field, he was an incredibly important player for the Eagles. He was leading the league in interceptions before he got hurt. And was more than willing to make big hits or come up and play the run. Until they make a replacement move, if they do, we will not know if it was the right move to let him walk. But at least according to Jeff McLane, it may have had something to do with concerns over CJ Gardner-Johnson’s maturity.
"I don't want to say this was the right move because I don't know." - @Jeff_McLane on the Eagles letting Gardner-Johnson walk
— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) March 21, 2023
You can listen to the full conversation with Jeff McLane below…
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